Reading Grip of the Shadow Plague
by Yakall
Summary: When seth returns home from bringing Vasilis back the sisters give him the third book of Fablehaven.
1. Nipsies

Kendra hugged Seth with all her might. He was home from returning vasilis.

"Guess what they gave me." Seth said.

"What?"

He dug around in his bag before pulling out a book that read "Fablehaven: grip of the shadow plague."

"Hey I know those were some rough times but you'll know fully what happened while I was here."

" no no it's ok i can read it. I'm over that part of my life." Kendra responded.

"You get Bracken, the queen of she can come, and the Larsen's and I'll get everyone here at the main house as well as Warren and Dale." Seth said. "Oh and meet at the pool."

They both set off to get their people.

About an hour later Seth and his people, along with his parents since they were visiting were still waiting for Kendra. Five minutes later they saw her and Bracken.

"Hey what took so long?" Seth asked.

"The Larsen's aren't able to join us." Kendra said.

"So who wants to start?" Seth asked.

"I'll go" Bracken said.

**Chapter One**

**I don't own fablehaven**

**Nipsies**

**On a muggy August day, Seth hurried along a faint path, eyes scanning the lush foliage to his left. Tall, mossy trees overshadowed a verdant sea of bushes and ferns. He felt damp all over-the humidity refused to let his sweat dry. Seth checked over his shoulder periodically and started at any sound in the undergrowth. Not only was Fablehaven a dangerous place to roam alone, he was terrified of getting spotted so far from the yard.**

**His skill at sneaking into the woods had improved over the long summer.**

"Ya don't doubt that"Scott said.

**The excursions with Coulter were fun, but not frequent enough to satisfy his appetite for adventure. There was something special about venturing out onto the preserve alone. He had become familiar with the woods surrounding the main house, and despite the concerns of his grandparents, he had proven to himself that he could explore safely. In order to avoid deadly situations, he rarely strayed far from the yard, and he avoided the areas he knew to be most perilous.**

**Today was an exception.**

"Seth" Stan moaned. "That's gonna be the death of you"

**Today he was following directions to a secret meeting.**

**Although Seth felt certain he had interpreted the instructions correctly, he was beginning to fret that he had somehow overlooked the final marker. The trail he currently trod was one he had never roamed before, quite a distance from the main house. He remained intent on the shrubs along the left side of the path.**

**Many people had come and gone from Fablehaven over the summer. At breakfast, Grandpa Sorenson had notified Seth, Kendra, Coulter, and Dale that Warren and Tanu would be returning home that evening. Seth was excited for a reunion with his friends, but knew that the more people who were at the house, the more eyes would be watching to impede his unauthorized expeditions. Today was probably the last time he would be able to slip out on his own for a while.**

"Sorry to spoil your fun" Warren said.

**Just as he was losing faith, Seth observed a stick topped by a large pinecone planted in the ground not far from the path. He should not have worried about missing it-the tall marker was unmistakable. Standing beside the stick, Seth took his compass from his emergency kit, found northeast, and set off on a heading not quite perpendicular to the meager trail.**

"Warren think you can handle all these big words?" Seth asked.

"Please That was so last book." Warren replied.

"Actually two books" Kendra commented.

"See she's a walking dictionary" Seth said.

**The ground sloped mildly upward. He swerved to avoid some thorny, flowering plants. Birds twittered in the leafy branches overhead. A butterfly with wide, vibrant wings bobbed on the breezeless air. Because of the milk he had drunk that morning, Seth knew it was actually a butterfly. Had it been a fairy, he would have recognized it as such.**

**"Pssst," a voice hissed from the bushes off to one side, "over here."**

**Seth swiveled and saw Doren, the satyr, peering over a glossy shrub with broad leaves. The satyr motioned him over.**

**"Hey, Doren," Seth said in a low voice, trotting over to where the satyr crouched. He found Newel hiding there as well, his horns somewhat longer, his skin slightly more freckled, and his hair a bit redder than Doren's.**

**"What about the brute?" Newel asked.**

**"He promised to meet me here," Seth assured them. "Mendigo is covering his chores at the stables."**

**"If he doesn't show, the deal is off," Newel threatened.**

**"He'll be here," Seth said.**

"This sounds so shady." Vanessa said.

"Satyrs" Seth said while raising his hands in a 'what are you gonna do?' Gesture.

"**Did you bring the merchandise?" Doren asked, trying to sound casual, but unable to hide the desperation in his gaze.**

**"Forty-eight size C batteries," Seth said. He unzipped a duffel bag and let the satyrs inspect the contents.**

"Got the duffel bag and everything" Warren said. "That's how you do business."

**Earlier in the summer, Seth had given the pair dozens of batteries as a reward for helping him and his sister sneak into his grandfather's home under dire circumstances. The satyrs had already depleted their bounty watching their portable television.**

**"Look at them, Doren," Newel breathed. "Hours upon hours of entertainment," Doren muttered reverently.**

**"The sports alone!" Newel cried.**

**"Dramas, sitcoms, cartoons, soap operas, talk shows, game shows, reality shows," Doren listed lovingly.**

**"So many lovely ladies," Newel purred.**

**"Even the commercials are amazing," Doren enthused.**

**"So many technological marvels!"**

"And this is why we don't allow tv." Stan said.

"**Stan would flip out if he knew," Newel murmured gleefully.**

**Seth understood that Newel was right. His Grandpa Sorenson worked hard to limit the amount of technology on the preserve. He wanted to keep the magical creatures of Fablehaven unspoiled by modern influences.**

**"Totally the reason right" Seth said with a wink.**

**He did not even have a television in his own home.**

**"So where is the gold?" Seth asked.**

**"Not far ahead," Newel said.**

**"Gold has become harder to find since Nero moved his hoard," Doren apologized.**

**"Accessible gold," Newel amended. "We know about plenty of treasure hidden around Fablehaven."**

**"Most of it is cursed or guarded," Doren explained. "For example, we know a wonderful nest of jewels stowed in a pit under a boulder, if you don't mind chronic flesh-eating infections."**

"Chronic flesh eating infections are my jam!" Warren said

"**And a priceless collection of gilded weapons in an armory protected by a vengeful family of ogres," Newel added. "But up ahead there's lots of gold with almost no strings attached," Doren promised.**

**"I still think I should get paid extra since you need my help collecting it," Seth complained.**

**"Now, Seth, don't be ungrateful," Newel chided. "We set a price. You agreed. Fair is fair. You don't have to help us retrieve the gold. We can just call the whole thing off."**

**Seth looked from one goatman to the other. Sighing, he zipped up the duffel bag. "Maybe you're right. This feels too risky.**

**"Or we could up your commission by twenty percent," Newel blurted, placing a hairy hand on the bag.**

**"Thirty," Seth said flatly.**

**"Twenty-five," Newel countered.**

**Seth unzipped the bag again.**

**Doren clapped his hands and stamped his hooves. "I love happy endings."**

"Oh my heck" Kendra said.

"**It isn't over until I have the gold," Seth reminded them. "You're sure this treasure will truly be mine? No angry trolls will come to claim it?"**

**"No curses," Newel said.**

**"No powerful beings seeking retribution," Doren asserted.**

**Seth folded his arms. "Then why do you need my help?"**

**"This stash used to be free money," Newel said. "The easiest payday at Fablehaven. With the help of your oversized bodyguard, it can be a bargain again."**

**"Hugo won't have to hurt anybody," Seth confirmed. "Relax," Newel said. "We've been over this. The golem won't need to harm a fly."**

**Doren held up a hand. "I hear somebody coming." Seth heard nothing. Newel sniffed the air.**

**"It's the golem," Newel reported.**

**Several moments later, Seth detected the heavy footfalls of Hugo's approach. Before long, the golem crashed into view, crunching through the undergrowth. An apelike figure fashioned out of soil, clay, and stone, Hugo had a thick build and disproportionately large hands and feet. Currently one arm was somewhat smaller than the other. Hugo had lost an arm in a battle with Olloch the Glutton, and despite frequent mud baths, the limb had not quite finished reforming.**

"That must be strange to watch." Scott commented.

**The golem came to a stop towering above Seth and the satyrs, who barely reached his massive chest. "Set," the golem intoned in a deep voice that sounded like huge stones grinding together.**

**"Hi, Hugo," Seth replied. The golem had only recently begun attempting simple words. He understood everything anyone told him, but rarely sought to express himself verbally.**

"He should become a poet." Tanu said.

"My cousins a poet." Warren said.

"You're cousin cousin, or like Kendra" Seth said while pointing at Kendra.

"**Good to see you, big guy," Doren said brightly with a wave and a broad smile.**

**"Will he cooperate?" Newel asked out the side of his mouth.**

**"Hugo doesn't have to obey me," Seth said. "I don't officially control him like Grandma and Grandpa do. But he's learning to make his own decisions. We've done some private adventuring together over the summer. He'll usually go along with whatever I suggest."**

"Oh geez" Ruth said.

"**Fair enough," Doren said. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. "Newel, my fellow gold digger, we may be back in business."**

**"Will you finally explain what we're doing?" Seth begged.**

**"Have you ever heard of the nipsies?" Newel asked.**

**Seth shook his head.**

**"Tiny little critters," Doren elaborated, "smallest of the fairy folk." The satyrs watched Seth expectantly.**

**Seth shook his head again.**

**"They're most closely related to brownies, but stand at only a fraction of the height," Newel said. "As you know, brownies are experts at mending, salvaging, and inventively recycling. Nipsies are also master artisans, but they tend to start from scratch, tapping into natural resources to acquire raw materials."**

"Maybe Verl should hang with them" Seth said while wiggling his eyebrows at Kendra.

Doren leaned close to Seth and spoke confidentially. "Nipsies have a fascination with **shiny metals and stones, and a knack for finding them."**

**Newel winked.**

**Seth crossed his arms. "What will stop them from taking their treasure back?"**

**Newel and Doren burst out laughing. Seth frowned.**

**Newel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Seth, a nipsie is about this big." Newel held his thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. Doren snorted as he tried to resist further laughter.**

**"They can't fly, and they have no magic to attack or harm." "In that case, I still don't see why you need my help getting the gold," Seth maintained.**

**The chuckling subsided. "What nipsies can do is prepare traps and plant dangerous vegetation," Doren said. "The little nippers apparently took umbrage at the tributes Newel and I demanded, so they erected defenses to keep us away. Hugo here should have no trouble getting us into their domain."**

**Seth narrowed his eyes. "Why don't the nipsies get help from Grandpa?"**

**"No offense," Newel said, "but many creatures at Fablehaven would endure considerable hardship to avoid human interference. Don't worry about the pipsqueaks appealing to Stan-he won't hear about this from them. What do you say? Shall we grab some easy gold?"**

**"Seth, always picking on the little guys" Kendra told Seth.**

**"Lead the way," Seth said. He turned to the golem. "Hugo, are you willing to help us visit the nipsies?"**

**Hugo held up an earthen hand, the thumb and forefinger almost touching. He gave a slight nod.**

**They tramped forward through the undergrowth until Newel raised a cautionary fist. From the edge of a clearing, Seth saw a wide meadow with a grassy hill in the middle. The sides of the hill were steep, but ended abruptly about twenty feet above the ground, as if the top were flat. "We'll need Hugo to get us into the hill," Newel whispered.**

**"Would you?" Seth asked the golem.**

**Hugo effortlessly placed Newel on one shoulder, Doren on the other, and cradled Seth in his larger arm. The golem set off across the meadow, crossing to the hill with long strides. Near the base of the hill, the weeds at Hugo's feet began to writhe and snap. Seth saw thorny vines curling around the golem's ankles, and the green heads of carnivorous plants striking at his shins.**

**"Part of the problem right there," Doren pointed out. "The little nippers cultivated all sorts of venomous plants around the outskirts of their territory."**

"Oh isn't that lovely" Marla said.

"**Underhanded vermin," Newel grumbled. "I was limping for a week."**

**"We were lucky to get away with our skins," Doren said. "We need to reach the other side of the hill."**

**"The slopes of the hill are full of traps," Newel explained. "A sealed entrance awaits on the far side."**

**"Take us around the hill, Hugo," Seth said.**

**The aggressive plants continued lashing and squirming and biting, but Hugo strode forward heedless of the onslaught. On the far side of the hill, they found an irregular boulder as tall as a man embedded at the base of the slope. A gooey mass of yellow slime pooled around the stone.**

**"Have Hugo shove the stone aside," Doren suggested.**

**"You heard him," Seth said.**

**Hugo stepped onto the slick slime, which slurped against his huge feet. With his free hand, Hugo thrust the boulder aside as if it were made of papier-mache, revealing the mouth of a tunnel.**

**"Put us down in the entrance," Newel said.**

"Almost like Hugo's a robot" Scott said. Seth just started nodding slowly.

"**And then keep the slime at bay," Doren added.**

**"Do it, please," Seth implored.**

**Hugo placed Seth at the entrance to the tunnel, then set the satyrs beside him. The golem turned and began kicking away the slime, which splashed through the air in sticky globs and strands.**

**"He comes in handy," Newel acknowledged, nodding toward Hugo.**

**"We need to get one for ourselves," Doren agreed.**

"I'm so sure." Vanessa said.

**Seth stared at the walls of the tunnel. They were made of polished white stone with veins of blue and green. Intricate carvings etched the entire surface from floor to ceiling. Seth traced a finger over the elaborate designs.**

**"Not too shabby," Newel commented.**

**Seth stepped back from the wall. "I can't believe all the detail."**

**"Wait until you see the Seven Kingdoms," Doren said.**

**The three of them proceeded along the short tunnel. The roof was just high enough that none of them needed to crouch.**

**"Watch your step," Newel said. "Take care not to crush a nipsie. Their lives are just as real and valuable as anyone's. If you accidentally kill a nipsie, the protections of the foundational treaty of Fablehaven will no longer be yours."**

"And the whole killing a nipsie thing." Seth said.

"**He's just saying that because of the time he stepped on a supply wagon and knocked the driver senseless," Doren confided.**

**"He made a full recovery," Newel replied stiffly.**

**"I don't see any nipsies here in the tunnel," Doren reported after bending down to study the smooth marble floor. "Then tread lightly at the far side," Newel recommended.**

**When Seth emerged from the far end of the tunnel, he unexpectedly stepped out into the sunlight. There was no top to the hill-the entire center had been excavated, leaving the slopes to form a circular wall around a unique community. "Look at that," Seth mumbled.**

**The entire area inside the hill was landscaped in miniature, bristling with tiny castles, mansions, factories, warehouses, shops, mills, theaters, arenas, and bridges. The architecture was complex and varied, incorporating soaring spires, swooping rooftops, spiraling towers, fragile arches, cartoonish chimneys, colorful canopies, columned walkways, multitiered gardens, and glistening domes. The nipsies constructed with the finest wood and stone, adding a gleam to many of their fanciful structures with precious metals and gemstones. Radiating out from a central pond, an elaborate irrigation system comprised of canals, aqueducts, ponds, and dams connected seven sprawling communities of dense habitations.**

"Announcing the seven kingdoms of the nipsies" Seth said in his talk show host/sports announcer voice.

"**Feast your eyes on the Seven Kingdoms of the nipsies," Newel said.**

**"See that squarish building there?" Doren asked, pointing. "The one with the pillars and the statues out front? That's the royal treasury of the Third Kingdom. Not a bad place to begin if they fail to cooperate."**

**Among the splendid edifices of the Seven Kingdoms, the tallest of which barely reached the height of Seth's knees, scurried thousands of minuscule people. At first glance they looked like insects. After rummaging through his emergency kit, Seth crouched near the mouth of the engraved tunnel where a crew of nipsies had been digging and peered at the undersized workers through a magnifying glass. They wore dapper clothing and, despite falling short of half an inch, looked just like humans. The group Seth was watching made animated gestures in his direction as they scurried away. Tiny bells started ringing, and many of the nipsies began to flee indoors or into holes in the ground.**

**"They're scared of us," Seth said.**

**"They'd better be," Newel blustered. "We're their supreme gigantic overlords,**

"Oh so that what your calling yourselves these days." Dale said.

**and they tried to lock us out with predatory plants and carnivorous slime."**

**"Look there, by the reflecting pool," Doren mourned, extending a hand. "They tore down our statues!"**

"Of course" Vanessa said.

**Remarkable likenesses of Newel and Doren, each over a foot tall, lay toppled and defaced near vacant grandstands.**

**"Somebody has gotten much too big for their britches," Newel growled. "Who has desecrated the Monument to the Overlords?"**

"Oh this just keeps getting better and better" Warren said. "Mad satyrs are hilarious"

**Pandemonium continued in the bustling streets. Frantic crowds pressed to get indoors. Dozens of nipsies recklessly descended the scaffolding of a building under construction. Nipsies armed with diminutive weapons congregated on the roof of the royal treasury.**

**"I see a delegation gathering around the horn," Doren said, motioning at an eighteen-inch tower topped by a large, pearl-colored megaphone.**

**Newel winked at Seth. "Time to open negotiations." "Are you sure this is right?" Seth asked. "Taking from these little guys?"**

**Doren slapped Seth on the back. "Nipsies live to sniff out pockets of ore. Our taking some of their stored wealth gives them something to do!"**

"Ya great defensive system"

"**Hail, Newel and Doren," a tiny voice chimed. Even magnified by the megaphone, it was squeaky and hard to hear. Stepping carefully, Seth and the satyrs leaned in closer. "We, the nipsies of the Third Kingdom, are overjoyed at your long-awaited return."**

**"Overjoyed, are you?" Newel said. "Poisonous plants were not exactly the welcome we expected."**

**The nipsies on the tower conferred together before answering. "We regret if the defenses we erected of late have proven problematic. We felt an increase in security was warranted due to the unsavory character of certain potential pillagers."**

**"Little nipper almost makes it sound like he's not talking about us," Doren murmured.**

**"They're none too shabby when it comes to diplomacy," Newel agreed. He raised his voice. "I noticed that our monuments have fallen into disrepair. Our tribute is long overdue."**

**Again the delegation on the tower huddled before responding. "We regret any lack of appreciation you may perceive," a voice squeaked. "You arrive in a desperate season. As you know, since time out of mind, the Seven Kingdoms of the nipsies have dwelt in peace and prosperity, interrupted only by the abusive solicitations of certain gigantic outlanders. But dark times have befallen us of late. The Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms have united in war against the rest of us.**

"Right like ya do"

**They recently decimated the Fourth Kingdom. We and the Second Kingdom are harboring thousands of refugees. The Fifth Kingdom is under siege. In the First Kingdom there is talk of retreat, a mass exodus to a new homeland.**

**"As you are aware, we nipsies have never been a warlike people. It is plain that a sinister influence has overcome the citizens of the Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms. We fear they will not be satisfied until they have conquered us all. As we speak, their navy sails toward our shores. If you simultaneously attack our community from the rear, I fear the Seven Kingdoms may fall into darkness. However, if you lend us aid in this tragic hour, we will gladly reward you handsomely."**

"That'll get their attention." Stan said.

"**Allow us a moment to deliberate," Newel said, pulling Doren and Seth in close. "You think this is a trick? What the nipsies lack in size, they often make up for in guile."**

**"I see a large fleet of black ships, there in the central pool," Doren said. Although the biggest ships were no larger than Seth's shoes, there were dozens of them approaching.**

**"Aye," Newel said. "And look off to the left. The Fourth Kingdom does appear to be in ruins."**

**"But who ever heard of nipsies at war?" Doren questioned.**

**"We'd better have a chat with the Seventh Kingdom," Newel resolved. "Hear their version of things."**

**"We will return," Doren declared to the nipsies on the tower. He and Newel began walking away. "Who are you?" the voice chirped from the megaphone. "The one without horns."**

**"Me?" Seth asked, placing a hand against his chest. "I'm Seth."**

**"O wise and prudent Seth," the voice resumed, "please prevail on the goat giants to come to our aid. Do not allow the wicked elders of the traitorous kingdoms to seduce them."**

"Do you know how strange this conversation sounds?" Kendra asked.

"**I'll see what I can do," Seth said, hurrying after Newel and Doren, watching the ground carefully to avoid flattening any nipsies. He caught up to the satyrs outside of a walled kingdom built of black stone and flying sable banners. The streets of the kingdom were virtually empty. Many of the nipsies in view wore armor and bore weapons. This kingdom had a tower with a megaphone as well.**

**"The wall is new," Doren remarked.**

**"And I don't recall everything looking so black," Newel said.**

**"They really do appear more warlike," Doren conceded.**

**"Here they come up the tower," Newel observed, nodding toward the black megaphone.**

**"Greetings, worthy overlords," a voice squealed. "You have returned in time to witness the culmination of our labors and to share in the spoils."**

**"Why are you waging war with the other kingdoms?" Newel asked.**

**"You have yourselves to thank," the speaker answered. "The Seven Kingdoms sent out many parties in search of methods for preventing your return. No party ventured farther than mine. We learned much. Our vision expanded. While the other kingdoms constructed defenses, we quietly rallied support within the Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms and developed engines of war. After all, as you have long known, why make when you can take?"**

"Literally the history of the world right there." Ruth said.

**Newel and Doren shared an uneasy glance.**

**"What would you have us do?" Doren asked.**

**"Victory is already inevitable, but if you help hasten our hour of triumph, we will reward you far more generously than any of the other kingdoms. Most of our riches are below ground, a secret they would never share. Surely the others have solicited your aid in stopping us. Such action would prove disastrous to you. We are in allegiance with a new master who will one day rule all.**

"Is that evil person code of conduct?" Kendra asked.

"Ya literally everyone was all like we work for a master that will rule the world, and all that crap"

**Stand against us, and you stand against him. All who defy him must perish. Join us. Avoid the wrath of our master, and reap the handsomest reward."**

**"Can I borrow your lens?" Doren asked.**

**Seth handed the satyr his magnifying glass. Doren stepped over the city wall into a vacant square, squatted, and examined the figures on the tower. "You two will want to have a look," he advised soberly.**

**Doren moved out of the way, and Newel took a long look through the magnifying glass, followed by Seth. The tiny men on the tower looked different from the others Seth had seen. Their skin was gray, their eyes bloodred, and their mouths fanged.**

**"What has happened to your countenances?" Newel asked. "Our true form revealed," the voice responded from the megaphone. "This is how we look with all illusion stripped away."**

"Not quite what I'd call it." Vanessa said.

"**They've been corrupted somehow," Doren hissed.**

**"You won't actually help them?" Seth said.**

**Newel shook his head. "No. But it may not be wise to resist them either. Perhaps we should avoid involvement." He looked to Doren. "We do have an appointment elsewhere shortly."**

**"That's right," Doren said, "I had almost forgotten our other engagement. We don't want to disappoint the, uh, hamadryads. Can't afford to get behind schedule. We'd better head out."**

"They really need a new excuse." Tanu said.

**"You don't have an appointment," Seth accused. "We can't just abandon the good nipsies to be destroyed."**

**"If you're so big on heroism," Newel said, "you go stop the navy."**

**"My job was to get us in here," Seth replied. "If you want batteries, you need to earn the gold yourself."**

**"He has a point," Doren admitted.**

**"We don't need to earn anything," Newel asserted. "We can go take what we need from the Third Kingdom treasury and be gone."**

**"No way," Seth said, shaking an upraised hand. "I won't accept stolen payment. Not after what happened with Nero.**

**"Although in the end it kind of- Wait never mind the artifact got to the society anyway."**

**The Third Kingdom offered an honest reward if you help them. You were the one telling me the nipsies can't harm us. Is that any different just because some turned evil? Tell you what, I'll even waive my extra twenty-five percent." "Hmmm." Newel rubbed his chin.**

**"Think of all the shows," Doren urged.**

**"Very well," Newel said. "I'd hate to see this little civilization ruined. But don't blame me if the eerie nipsies and their nefarious masters come hunting us down."**

"Oh no fear the tiny people who are an inch tall!" Seth said.

"Once again always picking on the little guys."

**"You'll regret this," the hostile nipsies cried through the megaphone.**

**"Will I?" Newel asked, kicking a hoof through the city wall. He ripped the megaphone off the tower and threw it over the side of the excavated hill.**

**"I'll go stop the siege of the Fifth Kingdom," Doren offered.**

**"You stay put," Newel ordered. "No need to give them a score to settle with both of us."**

**"They really got under your skin," Doren chuckled. "What are they going to do?"**

**"There is a dark influence at work here," Newel said grimly. "But if I'm going to defy them at all, I may as well finish the job." He tore up the roof of a solid-looking building and scooped out a handful of minute gold ingots, dumping them into a pouch he wore at his waist. "Here's a lesson for you," Newel said, reaching into the treasure house a second time. "Don't try to threaten the supreme gigantic overlords.**

**We do as we please."**

**Newel strode off into the pond, which was never any deeper than his furry shins. He rounded up the flotilla of ships and began carrying them back to the Seventh Kingdom, snapping off the masts and scattering the vessels around the city. "Careful not to kill any of them," Doren cautioned.**

**"I'm being careful," Newel replied, sloshing through the pond, sending ripples of water crashing into the fragile docks. When he had dumped the final ships in an empty marketplace, Newel crossed to the Fifth Kingdom and began smashing the little siege engines and catapults that were attacking fortified locations around the city, including the principal castle.**

"It looked like one of those scale model battle scene replicas" Seth said.

"Nerd" Warren said.

"It's not like you've played with those."

"He ain't wrong" Dale added in.

"Traitor" Warren said.

**Seth watched the proceedings with undivided interest. In a way, it was like witnessing a spoiled child destroying his toys. And yet when he looked more closely, he beheld the numerous lives the satyr's actions were affecting. From the perspective of the nipsies, a thousand-foot giant was thundering through their world, changing the course of a desperate war in a matter of minutes.**

**Newel scooped hundreds of attacking troops out of the Fifth Kingdom and placed them in the Seventh. Then he demolished several of the bridges that gave the Sixth Kingdom access to the Fifth. He stole several golden decorations from the proud towers in the Sixth Kingdom and systematically tore down their defenses. In the end, Newel returned to the tower of the Seventh Kingdom where the megaphone had been.**

**"Be warned-cease to make war, or I will return. Next time I will not leave so much of your kingdoms intact." Newel turned to face Doren and Seth. "Come on."**

**The three of them walked over to the Third Kingdom, near the engraved tunnel that led back to Hugo. "We have done what we can to halt your war," Newel declared. "All hail the supreme gigantic overlords!" a small voice called through the pearly megaphone. "Today will ever be a holiday to honor your gallantry. We will raise and refurbish your monuments to unsurpassed splendor. Please take what you wish from the royal treasury."**

**"Don't mind if I do," Newel said, prying open the wall and scooping out infinitesimal gold, silver, and platinum coins along with some relatively large gemstones. "You nipsies keep your guard up. Something is grievously wrong with your cohorts over in Kingdoms Six and Seven."**

"This is whack"

"**Long live Newel!" the squeaky voice approved. "Long live Doren! Long live Seth! Wise counsel from our heroic protectors!"**

**"Ya the same ones that just destroyed like half the place."**

**"Looks like we're done here for now," Doren said.**

**"Nice job," Seth said, clapping Newel on the back.**

**"Not a bad day's work," Newel sniffed, patting his bulging pouches. "Several kingdoms saved, a couple of kingdoms humbled, and a treasure won. Let's go weigh our loot. We've got shows to catch.**


	2. Reunion

"Alright that's the first chapter" Bracken said.

"I can go" Dale offered.

**Chapter Two**

**Reunion**

**For Kendra Sorenson, there was no such thing as total darkness anymore. She sat in a chilly hall in the dungeon underneath the main house at Fablehaven,**

"Nothing like a girl who purposely spends her time in dungeons am I right?" Seth asked. Kendra sighed.

**her back to a stone wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. She was facing a large cabinet with gold trim, the sort of cabinet a magician would use to make an assistant disappear. Despite the absence of light, she could make out the contours of the Quiet Box without difficulty. The hall was dim, the colors muted, but unlike even the goblin wardens who patrolled the dungeon, she needed no candle or torch to navigate the gloomy corridors. Her heightened vision was one of many consequences of her having become fairykind the previous summer.**

"Kendra you and I both know those are perks." Warren said.

**Kendra knew that Vanessa Santoro waited inside the box. Part of Kendra desperately wanted to speak with her former friend, even though Vanessa had betrayed the family and almost gotten them killed. Her desire to communicate with Vanessa had little to do with nostalgic feelings about the conversations they had shared.**

"Ouch, kendra I thought you like me more." Vanessa said.

"Curiosity, What can I say. I mean you kind dropped a bomb shell on us." Kendra replied.

**Kendra yearned for clarifications about the final note Vanessa had scribbled on the floor of her cell prior to being sentenced to the Quiet Box.**

**Upon discovering the note Vanessa had left, Kendra had immediately shared it with her grandparents. Grandpa Sorenson had scowled down at the glowing letters by the ghostly light of an umite candle for several minutes, weighing the unsettling accusations left by a desperate traitor.**

**Kendra still recalled his initial verdict:**

**"This is either the most disturbing truth I have ever encountered, or the most brilliant lie."**

**Nearly two months later, they were no closer to either verifying or disproving the message. If the message were true, the Sphinx, the greatest ally of the caretakers, was actually their archenemy in disguise. The message accused him of using his intimate association with the protectors of the magical preserves to further the sinister schemes of the Society of the Evening Star.**

**Alternatively, if the message were false, Vanessa was vilifying the most powerful friend of the caretakers in order to create internal dissension and provide a reason for her captors to release her from her imprisonment in the Quiet Box.**

"That would be a smart move." Vanessa considered.

**Without outside assistance, she would remain trapped inside the Quiet Box in a suspended state until someone else took her place. Potentially, she could wait there standing upright in black silence for centuries.**

**Kendra rubbed her shins. Without another person to take Vanessa's place temporarily, releasing her one-time friend from the Quiet Box for a brief conversation would be impossible. Not to mention the concern that Vanessa was a narcoblix. Over the summer, before she was unmasked, Vanessa had bitten nearly everybody at Fablehaven. As a result, once outside of the Quiet Box, she could control any of them whenever they were asleep.**

**Kendra would have to wait for a chat with Vanessa until everyone else agreed. Who knew how long that might take! The last time they had discussed the subject, nobody had been in favor of giving Vanessa a chance to further explain herself. Under a strict vow of secrecy, Grandpa and Grandma had shared the troubling message with Warren, Tanu, Coulter, Dale, and Seth. They had all taken measures to investigate the truthfulness of the note on the floor. Hopefully tonight, with Tanu and Warren returning from missions, they would have better information. If not, might the others finally conclude that the time had come to hear what else Vanessa had to say? The narcoblix had tantalized them by hinting that she knew more than she had revealed in her note. Kendra felt convinced that Vanessa could shed more light on the subject. She resolved that once again she would argue in favor of hearing more from Vanessa.**

**A flickering light danced at the end of the hall. Slaggo rounded a corner. The creepy goblin carried a crusty bucket in one hand while clutching a guttering torch in the other. "Skulking in the dungeon again?" he called to Kendra, pausing- "We can put you to work. The pay is unbeatable. You like raw hen flesh?"**

"She's a sucker a meat." Seth said.

"**I'd hate to barge in on your fun," Kendra snapped. She had not been very polite to Slaggo or Voorsh ever since they had almost fed her to her captive grandparents.**

**Slaggo leered. "You'd think they locked your favorite pet in the Box, the way you sulk."**

"Now I don't appreciate that."

"**I'm not pining for her," Kendra corrected. "I'm thinking."**

**He took a deep breath, surveying the hall smugly. "Hard to picture more inspiring surroundings," he admitted. "Nothing like the futile moans of the condemned to set your wheels turning."**

"There's just something bout slimy creatures that would kill you in a heartbeat."

**The goblin proceeded forward, licking his lips. He was short, bony, and greenish, with beady eyes and bat-wing ears. He had looked much more fearsome when Kendra was temporarily seven inches tall.**

**Instead of passing her, he halted again, this time gazing at the Quiet Box. "I'd like to know who was in there before," he murmured, almost to himself. "I've wondered every day for decades... now I'll never know."**

**The Quiet Box had contained the same secret prisoner ever since it had been brought to Fablehaven, until the Sphinx had swapped Vanessa for the mysterious occupant. The Sphinx had insisted that only in the Quiet Box would Vanessa be unable to use her ability to control others in their sleep. If Vanessa's final message were true, and the Sphinx was evil, he had probably released an ancient and powerful collaborator. If the message were false, the Sphinx was merely relocating the prisoner to a new place of confinement. None of them had seen the identity of the secret captive, only a chained figure whose head was hidden by a coarse burlap sack.**

**"I wouldn't mind knowing his identity either," Kendra said.**

"Oh honey you will."

"**I got a whiff of him, you know," Slaggo said casually, giving Kendra a sidelong glance. "I lay low in the shadows as the Sphinx walked him by." He was clearly proud of the fact.**

**"Could you tell anything about him?" Kendra asked, taking the bait.**

**"I've always had a reliable sniffer," Slaggo said, wiping his nostrils with his forearm and rocking back on his heels. "Definitely a male. Something odd about the scent, uncommon, hard to place. Not entirely human, if I were to guess."**

**"Interesting," Kendra said.**

**"Wish I could have gotten a closer smell," Slaggo lamented. "I would have tried, but the Sphinx is not a man* to trifle with."**

**"What do you know about the Sphinx?"**

**Slaggo shrugged. "Same as anyone. He's supposed to be wise and powerful. He smells exactly like a man. If he's . something else, he hides it perfectly. Man or not, he's very old. He carries the scent of another age."**

**Slaggo of course knew nothing about the note. "He seems like a good person," Kendra said. Slaggo shrugged. "Can I offer you some glop?" He swung the bucket in front of her.**

"This guy has the most appetizing stuff."

"**I'll pass," Kendra said, trying not to inhale the putrid stench.**

**"Fresh off the fire," he said. She shook her head, and he strolled away. "Enjoy the darkness."**

**Kendra almost smiled. Slaggo had no idea how well she could see without light. He probably thought she adored sitting alone in the dark. Which meant he thought she was his kind of girl.**

"Shall I add that to the list of random magic creatures that like you?" Seth asked.

**Of course, she had made a habit of spending time alone in a dungeon, so maybe he wasn't far off.**

**When the goblin was out of sight and the orange flicker of his torch had dwindled, Kendra arose and placed a palm against the smooth wood of the Quiet Box. Despite the fact that Vanessa had betrayed them, despite the reality that she was a proven liar, despite her obvious motivation for pretending to possess valuable information, Kendra believed the message on the floor, and she longed to know more.**

**Seth arrived at the dinner table wearing his best poker face. Coulter, the magical relics expert, had cooked meat loaf, with baked potatoes, broccoli, and fresh rolls on the side. Everyone was already seated-Grandpa, Grandma, Dale, Coulter, and Kendra.**

**"Tanu and Warren haven't shown up yet?" Seth asked.**

**"They called a few minutes ago," Grandpa said, holding up his new cell phone. "Tanu's plane got in late. They're grabbing food on the road. They should arrive in about an hour."**

**Seth nodded. The afternoon had ended profitably. He had already tucked away his share of the gold in the attic bedroom he shared with Kendra, the leather pouch containing the treasure bundled in a pair of athletic shorts at the bottom of one of his drawers. He still found it hard to believe he had stashed the gold before anybody could sabotage his success. All he had to do now was play it cool.**

**He wondered how much the gold was worth. Probably a few hundred thousand at least. Not bad for a not-yet thirteen-year-old.**

"With That Attitude you could rule the world." Warren said.

**The one complication was the nipsies. Surely, as caretaker, Grandpa Sorenson knew of their existence. Seth was pretty sure Grandpa Sorenson would want an update on what had happened to them so he could investigate further. Who was the evil master the warlike nipsies had mentioned? Could it be the Sphinx? There were any number of shady candidates at Fablehaven. Despite the action Newel had taken to prevent the scary nipsies from defeating the nice ones, Seth felt certain that the conflict was not over. If he did nothing, the good nipsies could be wiped out.**

**Still, Seth hesitated. If he spilled what he had learned about the nipsies, Grandpa would know he had been venturing into prohibited areas of Fablehaven. Not only would he get privileges revoked, he would almost certainly have to return the gold. It made Seth shrivel inside to think of how disappointed everyone would be in him.**

"At least he has a good heart. Otherwise we'd all be in trouble." Scott said.

"I take that very offensively." Seth said. "It's just a buttered up insult."

**There was a chance Grandpa would discover what was wrong with the nipsies as part of his routine duties watching over the preserve. But considering the defenses the nipsies had erected, Grandpa might not have any plans to visit them in the near future. Would he find out what was going on in time to prevent a tragedy? Ever since Kendra had discovered the final note from Vanessa, everyone had been so preoccupied by events outside of Fablehaven that Seth doubted whether anyone would check up on the nipsies for a long while. There was even a chance that Grandpa knew nothing about them.**

**"We'll still meet tonight to discuss what Tanu and Warren have discovered, right?" Kendra sounded concerned.**

**"Of course," Grandma said, spooning broccoli onto her plate.**

**"Do we know if they had much success?" Kendra asked.**

**"All I know is that Tanu failed to find Maddox," Grandpa said, referring to the fairy dealer who had ventured onto the fallen Brazilian preserve. "And Warren has done some serious traveling. I refuse to risk talking about the details of our secret concern on the telephone."**

**Seth added some ketchup to his meat loaf and took a bite. It was almost too hot, but tasted great. "What about my folks?" Seth asked. "Are they still pressuring you to send us home?"**

"Now That makes us sound old" Scott said.

"**We're running out of excuses to stretch your stay much longer," Grandma said, giving Grandpa a worried glance.**

**"School begins in just a couple of weeks."**

**"We can't go home!" Kendra exclaimed. "Especially not until we prove whether the Sphinx is innocent. The Society knows where we live, and they're not afraid to approach us there."**

**"I wholeheartedly agree," Grandpa said. "The problem remains how to persuade your parents."**

**Kendra and Seth had been at Fablehaven the entire summer under the pretense of helping to care for their injured grandfather. He really had been injured when they had first arrived, but the artifact they had collected from the inverted tower had healed him. The original plan had been for Kendra and Seth to stay for a couple of weeks. Grandma and Grandpa had managed to extend that to over a month through telephone conversations-Kendra and Seth kept reporting how much fun they were having, and Grandma and Grandpa emphasized how helpful they were being.**

**After a month, Grandpa could tell that his son and daughter-in-law were truly getting impatient, so he invited them to visit for a week. Grandma and Grandpa had decided that the best solution would be to help them discover the truth about Fablehaven, so they could all openly discuss the danger that Kendra and Seth were in.**

"That went well" Marla said.

**But no matter how many clues they left or hints they offered, Scott and Maria refused to catch on. In the end, Tanu had fixed them a tea that left them open to suggestion, and Grandpa, wearing a phony cast, had secured another month for the kids to visit. Yet once again, their time was almost up.**

**"Tanu is coming back," Seth reminded them. "Maybe he can slip Dad some more of that tea."**

**"We need to get beyond temporary remedies," Grandma said. "The current threats could persist for years. Perhaps the Society of the Evening Star has lost interest in you now that the artifact is no longer at Fablehaven. But my instincts tell me otherwise."**

**"As do mine," Grandpa agreed, giving Kendra a significant stare.**

**"Can we force Mom and Dad to see through the illusion hiding the creatures here?" Kendra asked. "Just give them milk and point them toward the fairies? Take them into the barn to see Viola?"**

**Grandpa shook his head. "I'm not sure. Total unbelief is a powerful inhibitor. It can blind an individual to obvious truths, no matter what others do or say."**

**"The milk wouldn't work on them?" Seth asked.**

**"It might not," Grandpa said. "That is part of the reason I let people discover the secrets of Fablehaven through finding clues. First off, it gives them a choice about whether or not they want to know the truth about this place. And secondly, the curiosity wears down their unbelief. It doesn't require much belief for the milk to work, but complete unbelief can be tough to overcome."**

**"And you think Mom and Dad have no belief in them?"**

"This is so reminding me of those cheesy Christmas movies were their Santa belief is dwindling and they just need to spread the Christmas belief." Warren said.

"Ok boomer." Seth said.

**Kendra asked.**

**"As to the possibility of mythical creatures actually existing, they appear to have none at all," Grandpa said. "I left them much more obvious clues than I provided for you and Seth."**

**"I even had a conversation with them where I all but told them the truth about Fablehaven and my role here," Grandma said. "I stopped once I could see they were gawking at me like I belonged in an asylum."**

"Ah yes good times." Scott said.

"**In some ways their unbelief is good for their safety,"**

**Grandpa said. "It can be a protection from the influence of dark magic."**

**Seth scowled. "Are you saying that magical creatures only exist if we believe in them?"**

**Grandpa dabbed at his lips with a napkin. "No. They exist independent of our belief. But usually some belief is necessary in order for us to interact with them. Furthermore, most magical creatures dislike unbelief enough to steer clear of it, in much the same way you or I might avoid an offensive odor. Unbelief is part of the reason many creatures chose to flee to these preserves."**

**"Would it be possible for any of us to stop believing in magical creatures?" Kendra wondered.**

**"Don't bother," Coulter huffed. "Nobody could try harder than I have. Most of us just make the best of it."**

"Good ol' Coulter."

**"Gets pretty hard to doubt once you've interacted with them," Dale agreed. "Belief hardens into knowledge."**

**"There are some who learn of this life and then flee it," Grandma said. "They avoid the preserves and substances like Viola's milk that can open their eyes. By turning their backs on all things magical, they let their knowledge lie dormant."**

**"Sounds like good sense to me," Coulter muttered.**

**"Your Grandma and Grandpa Larsen retired prematurely from their involvement with our secret society," Grandpa said. "Grandma and Grandpa Larsen knew about magical creatures?" Seth exclaimed.**

**"As much as we do or more," Grandma said. "They ended their involvement around the time Seth was born. We all had such high hopes for your parents. We introduced them to one another and quietly encouraged their courtship.**

**When Scott and Maria refused to show interest in oursecret, your Grandma and Grandpa Larsen seemed to lose their commitment."**

"Right gotcha" Warren said.

**"We had been friends with the Larsens since your parents were children," Grandpa mentioned.**

**"Wait a minute," Kendra said. "Did Grandma and Grandpa Larsen really die accidentally?"**

**"As far as we have ever been able to tell, yes," Grandma said.**

**"They had retired from our community ten years prior," Grandpa said. "It was simply a tragic mishap."**

**"I never guessed that they would have known about the secret preserves," Seth said. "They didn't seem like the type."**

**"They were very much the type," Grandma assured them. "But they were good at keeping secrets, and at playing roles. They did a fair amount of spying for our cause back in the day. Both were involved with the Knights of the Dawn."**

**Kendra had never considered the possibility that her deceased grandparents might have shared the secret knowledge held by the Sorensons. It made her miss them more than ever. It would have been so nice to share this amazing secret with them! Strange how two couples who knew the secret both had kids who refused to believe. "How will we ever convince Mom and Dad to let us stay here?" Kendra asked.**

**"Let your Grandpa and me keep working on that," Grandma promised with a wink. "We still have another week or so."**

**They finished the meal in silence. Everyone thanked Coulter for the meat loaf as they cleared the table together.**

**Grandpa led the way into the living room, where each of them found a seat. Kendra thumbed through an antique book of fairy tales.**

"Hehe, fairy tales" Seth said. "As if you didn't already get enough magical stuff"

**Before long, a key rattled and the front door opened. Tanu entered, a tall Samoan with heavy, sloping shoulders. One of his thickly muscled arms hung bandaged in a sling. A satchel bulging with odd shapes dangled from the potion master's opposite shoulder. Behind him came Warren, wearing a leather jacket, his chin stubbly with three-day whiskers.**

"They weren't that bad" Warren huffed.

"**Tanu!" Seth ran up to the big Samoan. "What happened?"**

**"This?" Tanu asked, indicating the injured arm.**

**"Yeah."**

**"Botched manicure," he said, dark eyes twinkling.**

**"I'm back too," Warren hinted.**

**"Sure, but you weren't sneaking onto a fallen preserve in South America," Seth told him dismissively.**

**"I had some close calls of my own," Warren mumbled. "Cool ones."**

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." Seth said.

"**We're glad you both made it back safely," Grandma said. Warren scanned the living room and leaned toward Tanu. "Looks like we arrived late for a meeting."**

**"We're dying to hear what you found out," Kendra said.**

**"How about a drink of water?" Warren sniffed. "A little help with our bags? A warm handshake? A guy could get the feeling you only want him for his information."**

**"Cut the theatrics and have a seat," Dale said. Warren scowled at his older brother.**

**Tanu and Seth entered the room and took seats next to each other. Warren plopped down on the sofa beside Kendra.**

**"I'm glad we're all here," Grandpa said. "We in this room represent the only persons aware of the accusation that the Sphinx may be a traitor. It is imperative that we keep it that way. Should the accusation prove true, his vast network of deliberate and inadvertent spies are everywhere. Should the accusation prove false, this is hardly the time to spread rumors that could provoke dissension. Given all we have been through together, I feel sure we can confide in one another."**

**"What new information have you uncovered?" Grandma asked.**

**"Not much," Tanu said. "I got onto the Brazilian preserve. Things are a mess there. A reptilian demon named Lycerna has overthrown all order. If Maddox found a good place to hole up, he may be all right, but I wasn't able to locate him. I did deliver the tub, and I placed some coded messages as to where I hid it. He knows how to use it."**

**"Good man," Coulter approved. "What tub?" Seth asked.**

**Coulter looked at Grandpa, who nodded. "An oversized, old-fashioned tin bathtub that happens to contain a shared transdimensional space linked to an identical tub in the attic."**

**"That meant nothing to me," Seth said.**

"Smooth Seth" Warren said

"**One moment," Coulter said, rising and going into the other room. He returned with a battered leather satchel. After rummaging in the satchel for a moment, he retrieved a pair of tin cans. "These function the same way as the tubs, on a smaller scale. I have used them to send messages. Take this one, have a look inside." He handed one of the tin cans to Seth.**

**"Empty," Seth reported after glancing into it.**

**"Correct," Coulter said. He removed a coin from his pocket and dropped it into the can he had retained. "Check again."**

**Seth looked into the can and saw a quarter resting on the bottom. "There's a quarter in here!" he exclaimed.**

"Wow I've never seen one of those before!" Warren said sarcastically.

"Don't pretend like that'd be your reaction too" Seth said.

**"Same quarter as I have in mine," Coulter explained. "The cans are linked. They share the same space."**

**"So now we have two quarters?" Seth asked.**

**"Only one quarter," Coulter corrected. "Take it out."**

**Seth dumped the quarter into his palm. Coulter held up his can. "See, my quarter is gone. You took it out of your can."**

**"Awesome," Seth breathed.**

**"Maddox can use the tub to get home, if he can find it," Coulter said. "The only catch is that somebody has to be on our end to pull him out. Without outside help, he can emerge only from the tub he enters."**

**"So if somebody was on the other end to help us out, we could get to the Brazilian preserve through an old bathtub in the attic?" Seth said.**

"Maybe shouldn't answer that one" Scott said.

**Grandma raised her eyebrows. "If you wanted to risk getting devoured by a gargantuan serpentine demon, yes."**

**"Wait," Kendra said. "Why didn't Tanu just come home through the tub?"**

**Tanu chuckled. "The plan was for me to use the tub after I delivered it, but I was also trying to ascertain whether the artifact had been removed from the Brazilian preserve. Sadly, I failed to find where the artifact was hidden. Lycerna cut off my escape route to the tub. I was lucky to make it out over the wall."**

**"We're talking about your side of the attic, right?" Seth asked. "The secret side-not where we're sleeping."**

**"Safe guess," Grandma said.**

**"How'd you bust your arm?" Seth wondered.**

"Not one of my finest moments" Tanu said.

"**Honestly?" Tanu said sheepishly. "Dropping from the top of the wall to the ground."**

**"I thought maybe the demon chomped you," Seth sighed, looking a little disappointed.**

"Sorry to disappoint" Tanu said.

**Tanu gave a rueful smile. "I wouldn't be here if she had."**

**"Any evidence that could implicate the Sphinx as a cause for the fall of the Brazilian preserve?" Grandpa asked.**

**"I found nothing to indict him at the preserve," Tanu said. "He was in the area soon after the trouble started, but he always shows up when things go wrong. Whether he was there to help or hinder, I have no idea."**

**"How have you fared, Warren?" Grandpa asked. "Any news of the fifth secret preserve?"**

**"Still nothing. I keep hearing about the same four, the ones we already knew about. Australia. Brazil. Arizona. Connecticut. Nobody can give me a location for the fifth."**

**Grandpa nodded, appearing mildly disappointed but unsurprised. "What of the other matter?"**

**"The Sphinx knows how to cover his tracks," Warren said, his demeanor growing serious. "And he is not the sort of figure you ask questions about openly. Trying to discover his origin has felt like wandering through a maze full of dead ends. Every time I take a few steps in a new direction, I hit a new wall. I've been to New Zealand, Fiji, Ghana, Morocco, Greece, Iceland-the Sphinx has lived all over, and everywhere there are different theories about who he is and where he came from.**

"Now that's how you keep it on the down low" Kendra said.

**Some say he is the avatar of a forgotten Egyptian god, some say he is a sea serpent cursed to roam dry land, some say he is an Arabian prince who won immortality by cheating the devil-every account is different,**

"Eh just a little far fetched." Seth said.

**each more farfetched than the last. I've talked to caretakers, magical beings, historians, criminals, you name it. The guy is a ghost. The stories I've heard are too diverse. If you ask me, I'd say he started all the rumors himself to confuse the exact sort of investigation I've been trying to conduct."**

**"The Sphinx has always shrouded himself in secrecy, which leaves him vulnerable to the sort of accusation Vanessa made," Grandpa said. "Which Vanessa knew," Coulter pointed out. "He's an easy target for slander. It isn't the first time."**

**"Yes, but usually the accusations are the baseless ranting of the fearful," Grandma said. "This time, the circumstantial evidence is terrifying. Her explanation fit the events perfectly."**

"Ya I'd have to be pretty smart to make that up on the spot."

"**There is a reason we don't convict people based on circumstantial evidence," Tanu said. "We know firsthand how devious Vanessa can be. She could easily have used the facts of the circumstances to weave a convincing lie."**

**"I have other news," Warren announced. "The Knights of the Dawn are having their first united gathering in over ten years. All Knights are required to attend."**

"Oh joy"

**Coulter sighed. "Never a good sign. The last united gathering I attended was when hard evidence came to light that the Society of the Evening Star was resurfacing."**

**"You're a Knight too?" Seth asked Coulter.**

**"Semi-retired. We're not generally supposed to reveal ourselves, but I figure if I can't trust you all, I can't trust anyone. Besides, I'll be in a grave before too long."**

"That guy seems fun to be around" Scott said.

"**There's more," Warren continued. "The Captain wants me to bring Kendra to the event."**

"Ya that's gonna turn out well" Marla muttered.

"**What?" Grandpa exclaimed. "Outrageous!"**

**"Only Knights are invited to the assemblies," Grandma said.**

**"I know, I know, don't shoot the messenger," Warren said. "They want to induct her."**

**"At her age!" Grandpa cried, his face reddening. "Are they recruiting at maternity wards these days?" "And we all know who the Captain is," Warren said, "though he never openly reveals himself."**

**"The Sphinx?" Kendra guessed.**

**Grandpa nodded thoughtfully, pinching his lower lip. "Have they offered a reason?"**

**"The Captain suggested that she has talents essential to us in weathering the coming storm," Warren said.**

"Ya they say I have a magic touch" Kendra said with a wink.

"It's nice having your own personalized battery." seth said

**Grandpa buried his face in his hands. "What have I done?" he moaned. "It was my choice to introduce her to the Sphinx in the first place. Now, good or evil, he wants to exploit her abilities."**

**"We can't let her go," Grandma said adamantly. "If the Sphinx is also the leader of the Society, this is undoubtedly a trap. Who knows how many other Knights may be corrupt!"**

"Stupid corrupt knights."

"**I have worked with many of the Knights," Tanu said. "I've seen lives risked and sacrificed. I would vouch that most are true protectors of the preserves. If the Knights are harming our cause, it's because they've been duped."**

**"You're a Knight too?" Seth asked.**

**"Like Warren, Tanu, Coulter, and Vanessa are all Knights of the Dawn," Grandpa said.**

**"Vanessa didn't turn out very well," Seth reminded them.**

**"Which is another good point," Grandma said. "Even if the Sphinx is honorable, Vanessa proves that the Knights have at least some traitors among them. A meeting where all the Knights are gathered could prove perilous for Kendra."**

"Cause they'd kill me with all those people around" Kendra said. Then she got a thoughtful look on her face and continued "unless of course they were to abduct me or get me in a secluded area all by myself."

"**Where will it be?" Grandpa asked.**

**Warren scratched the side of his head. "I'm not supposed to say, but half of us will have formal invitations by tomorrow, and the others have a right to know. Outside Atlanta, in the home of Wesley and Marion Fairbanks."**

**"Who are they?" Seth asked.**

**"Billionaire fairy enthusiasts," Grandma said. "They have a private collection of fairies and whirligigs."**

**"For which they paid handsomely," Grandpa added.**

"Emphasis on billionaires" Vanessa said.

"**The Fairbankses have no idea of the extent of our community. They've never seen a preserve. They're outsiders, useful for funds and connections."**

**"And they have a big mansion ideal for gatherings," Coulter said.**

**"But there hasn't been a gathering for ten years?" Kendra asked.**

**"No united gathering," Tanu said. "A united gathering means everybody is supposed to come, no excuses. Secrecy is important to the Knights, so such gatherings are rare. Normally we assemble in smaller groups. When we do meet in a large body, we wear disguises. Only the Captain knows the identity of all the members of the brotherhood."**

**"And he might be a traitor," Kendra said.**

**"Right," Warren agreed. "But I don't see how we can deny the request."**

**Grandpa stared at him, eyebrows raised. He motioned for Warren to explain further.**

**"The last thing we can afford to do, in case the Sphinx is actually an enemy, is show we are suspicious of him. Based on Vanessa's assertion, if he is evil, there can be no question of how he would retaliate if he knew we had uncovered his secret."**

**Grandpa nodded reluctantly. "If he were going to make a move against Kendra, it would probably not be when she is supposed to be under his protection.**

"She that's why no one can get me." Kendra said.

**He knows that many assume he is the Captain of the Knights. I wonder why he is requesting her presence?"**

**"Perhaps he has a talisman that needs charging," Grandma proposed. "Her ability to recharge magical objects through touch is unique."**

**"Might even be the Brazilian artifact," Tanu murmured.**

**The implications made the room go silent.**

"Spooky"

"**Or the Sphinx may be on our side," Coulter reminded everyone.**

**"When is the united gathering?" Grandpa asked.**

**"Three days," Warren said. "You know how they never tell anyone until the last minute, to help prevent sabotage."**

**"Are you a Knight too?" Seth asked Grandpa.**

**"I was," Grandpa said.**

"Correction you are" Warren said.

"**None of the caretakers are in the brotherhood."**

**"Will you be going?" Kendra asked him.**

**"The gatherings of the brotherhood are only for current members."**

**"Tanu, Warren, and I will be there," Coulter said. "I agree, regardless of the true intentions of the Sphinx, Kendra should attend. We'll stay at her side."**

**"Could we devise a plausible excuse for her absence?" Grandma asked.**

**Grandpa shook his head slowly. "If we had no doubts about the Sphinx, we would go out of our way to fulfill his request. Any excuse we offer might raise suspicion." He turned to Kendra. "What do you say?"**

**"Sounds like I'd better go," she said. "I've walked into more dangerous situations than this. The Sphinx would have to risk revealing himself in order to harm me. Besides, hopefully Vanessa is wrong. Do you think it might help to speak with her?"**

"I'm said to be quite useful" Vanessa said.

"**Help add to our confusion maybe," Coulter spat. "How can any of us trust a word she says? She's too dangerous. From my point of view, if we let her breathe fresh air, we'll be playing right into her hands. Whether the note is true or false, escaping the Quiet Box was surely her only goal in leaving it."**

**"I have to agree," Grandma said. "I think if she could have added further proof to her accusation, she would have done so in the message. It was plenty long."**

**"If her accusation proves valid, Vanessa may still be of great use," Grandpa said. "There may be others in her organization whom she could reveal. Once we offer her the opportunity, we can count on her trying to use such information as leverage to avoid returning to the Quiet Box, which is not a headache I care to endure at the moment. For now, I would rather seek out more evidence on our own. Perhaps the four of you can learn more at the united gathering."**

"cause that's not suspicious" Seth said.

"**Then I'm going?" Kendra asked.**

**The adults in the room exchanged tacit glances before nodding. "Then we only have one problem left to discuss," Seth said.**

**Everyone turned to him.**

**"How do I get invited?"**

"Classic Seth move right there"


	3. Sharing discoveries

"This ones done" Dale said.

"I can read" Vanessa said.

**Chapter Three**

**I don't own fablehaven**

**Sharing Discoveries**

**Kendra lay on her bed, perched on her elbows above an oversized journal, reading strong, slanted handwriting that looked like it belonged on the Declaration of Independence. The author of the journal was Patton Burgess, the former caretaker of Fablehaven, the man who had lured Lena the naiad out of her pond more than a hundred years ago. As she had scoured Patton's journals over the summer, Kendra had become more fascinated than ever by Lena's story.**

"Ugh are we gonna have to listen to more lovey dovey crap?" Seth moaned.

**Even though leaving the water had transformed the nymph to a mortal state, she had aged much more slowly than Patton. After Patton had succumbed to his years, Lena had traveled the world, eventually returning to Fablehaven to work with Kendra's grandparents. Kendra had met Lena the previous summer, and they had become fast friends. All of that had ended when Kendra had gotten help from the Fairy Queen to summon an army of giant fairies to stop a witch named Muriel and the demon she had freed. The fairies had defeated the demon, Bahumat, and imprisoned Muriel with him. Afterwards, they had repaired much of the hurt the witch had caused. They had changed Grandpa, Grandma, Seth, and Dale back from altered states, and rebuilt Hugo from scratch. They had also restored an unwilling Lena to her state as a naiad. Once back in the water, Lena had reverted to her former ways, and she had not seemed eager to return to dry land when Kendra had tried to offer help.**

"That was way to wordy for my liking" Seth declared.

**Kendra had good reason to study the journal entries. During her stay at Fablehaven, Vanessa had spent much of her time perusing the records of former caretakers. If, as a traitor, Vanessa had been so intent on examining the history contained in the journals, Kendra had decided the information must be valuable. No caretaker had kept a tenth as many records as Patton, and so Kendra had mostly found herself poring over his writings.**

**He was an intriguing man.**

"That's how we burgesses roll." Warren said.

**He oversaw the construction of the new house and barn at Fablehaven, along with the stables, all still in use. He prevented the ogres from eradicating themselves by negotiating the end of an ancient feud. He helped erect the glass observation domes that served as safe rooms around the preserve. He mastered six of the languages spoken by magical beings, and used the knowledge to establish relationships with many of the most fearsome and elusive inhabitants of the preserve.**

"In other words he did everything" Seth said.

**His interests were not limited to the upkeep and improvement of Fablehaven. Rather than staying rooted to the preserve, Patton traveled extensively in an era before airplanes made the globe feel small. Sometimes he was open about his visits to exotic locations like foreign preserves. Other times he omitted the destinations of his excursions. He was playfully boastful about his journeys, often referring to himself as the world's greatest adventurer.**

"He's not wrong."

**In his writings, Patton was shameless about his ambition to woo Lena to be his bride.**

"Can we just talk about this word choice." Warren said.

"Eww so there is gonna be this crap." Seth said.

"Oh shush Seth."Kendra said

"Sorry if we can't all be die-hard romantics" Seth said.

**He detailed the gradual progress he made, playing music for her on his violin, writing her poems, beguiling her with stories, engaging her in conversation. It was clear that he obsessed over her. He knew what he wanted and never relented until she was his. Kendra was currently rereading the culminating entry of the romantic account:**

"Ugh" Seth said.

**Success! Victory! Jubilation! I should no longer be alive, though I have never felt more so! After the tiresome months, nay, years of waiting, of hoping, of striving, she reposes in a room in my home as I pen these exultant words. The truth of it refuses to settle in my mind. Never has a fairer maiden walked on dry land than my precious Lena. Never has a human heart felt more satisfied than mine.**

**I unwittingly put her affection to the test today. It shames me to confess my folly, but the disgrace is eclipsed by my elation. While adrift on the pond, I leaned too close to my love, and her wretched sisters promptly took advantage of my laxity and hauled me overboard. Tonight I should be slumbering in an aquatic grave. I was insignificant compared to them in the water. But mylove swam to my rescue. Lena was magnificent! She bettered nofewer than eight of the watery maids in order to wrest me fromtheir clutches and deliver me to the shore. To complete the miracle, she joined me on land, at long last accepting my invitationand renouncing her claim on immortality.**

"How romantic" Seth said in a very high voice while fluttering his eyelashes.

**After all, what is immortality when confined to a sad little pond with such petty companions? I will unveil wonders to her that others of her kind have never imagined. She shall be my queen, and I her most ardent admirer and protector.**

**I suppose I should thank her spiteful sisters for endeavoring to steal my life. Had such a dire situation failed to arise, I might never have inspired Lena to action!**

**It has not eluded my attention that many around me have elected to mock and deride my adoration behind my back. They anticipate a recurrence of the calamitous escapade that ruined my uncle.**

"Ya but he was kind of whack so..."

**If only they could somehow sample the authenticity of my affection! This is no paltry dalliance with a dryad, no trifling indiscretion swollen out of proportion. History will not be imitated; rather, a new standard of love shall be established for the ages. Time will certify my devotion! On this I would gladly stake my very soul!**

"Geez Patton" Seth said.

**No matter how many times Kendra read those words, they never failed to thrill her.**

"Oh really Kendra." Seth said. "Anything you think can and will be used against you." Seth said.

**She could not help wondering if one day a person might experience such strong feelings for her.**

"That means you" Seth said quietly while elbowing Bracken. "You have high expectations to meet."

**Having already heard Lena's side of the story, Kendra knew that the adoration expressed by Patton had been reciprocated over a lifelong romance. She tried to prevent her thoughts from wandering to Warren.**

"Oh kill me now." Kendra moaned.

**Sure, he was nice looking, and brave, and funny. But he was also way too old, and her distant cousin on top of it!**

"This is sooooo awkward." Seth said.

**Kendra thumbed through the pages of the journal, enjoying the smell of the old paper, unable to avoid hoping that one day she would find someone like Patton Burgess.**

**An umite candle rested on the nightstand beside her bed. Vanessa had introduced Kendra to umite wax, a substance made by South American fairies dwelling in hivelike communities. When you wrote with an umite wax crayon, the words were invisible unless you read them by the light of a candle made from the same substance. Vanessa had used umite wax to scrawl her final message on the floor of her cell. And Kendra had discovered that Vanessa had taken notes using umite wax in the journals she had studied.**

**Whenever Kendra lit the candle, she found herself guided to key pieces of underlined information, accompanied by occasional notes scrawled in the margins. She had identified the notes that Vanessa had left while deducing that the grove with the revenant was the hiding place for the inverted tower. She also found several false trails Vanessa had followed referencing other dangerous areas of Fablehaven, including a haunted tar pit, a poisonous bog, and the lair of a demon named Graulas.**

"Stupid demons."

**Kendra could not make sense of all the observations Vanessa had jotted-some were in an indecipherable shorthand.**

**Kendra sat up and opened a drawer, planning to light a match and use the candle to scour more pages. She had to do something to keep her mind off of her impending trip to Atlanta!**

**"Are you missing the library again?" Seth asked, startling her as he walked into the room.**

**Kendra turned to face her brother. "You caught me," she congratulated him. "I'm reading."**

**"I bet the librarians back home are panicking. Summer vacation, and no Kendra Sorenson to keep them in business. Have they been sending you letters?"**

"They must be heart broken that precious little Kendra didn't walked through their doors." Seth said.

"**Might not hurt you to pick up a book, just as an experiment."**

**"Whatever. I looked up the definition for nerd in the dictionary. Know what it said?"**

**"I bet you'll tell me."**

**'"If you're reading this, you are one.'"**

**"You're a riot." Kendra turned back to the journal, flipping to a random page.**

**Seth took a seat on his bed across from her. "Kendra, seriously, I can sort of see reading a cool book for fun,**

"Wow! Hold on everybody get the press! Front page stuff right here!" Warren said.

**but dusty old journals? Really? Has anybody told you there are magical creatures out there?" He pointed at the window.**

**"Has anybody told you some of those creatures can eat you?" Kendra responded. "I'm not reading these just for fun. They have good info."**

**"Like what? Patton and Lena smooching?"**

**Kendra rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling. You'll end up drowning in a tar pit."**

**"There's a tar pit?" he said, perking up. "Where?" "You're welcome to look it up yourself." She gestured at the huge stack of journals beside her bed.**

**"I'd rather drown," Seth admitted. "Smarter people than you have tried to trick me into reading." He sat still, staring at her.**

"And who per-say is that?" Vanessa asked.

**"What's going on?" she asked. "Are you bored?"**

**"Not compared to you."**

**"I'm not bored," Kendra said smugly. "I'm going to Atlanta."**

**"That's below the belt!" Seth protested. "I can't believe they're making you a Knight and not me. How many revenants have you destroyed?"**

**"None. But I did help take down a demon, a witch, and a huge, winged, acid-breathing, three-headed panther."**

**"I'm still mad I missed seeing the panther," Seth muttered sourly. "Tanu and Coulter got their invitations today. Sounds like you guys are leaving tomorrow."**

**"I'd let you go in my place if I could," Kendra said. "I don't trust the Sphinx."**

**"You shouldn't," Seth said. "He let you win at Foosball. He pretty much told me. The guy is a pro."**

**"You're just saying that because he creamed you."**

**Seth shrugged. "Guess what? I have a secret."**

**"Not for long, now that you've said that much."**

**"You're never getting it out of me."**

**"Then I'll die unfulfilled," she said dryly,**

"Still got it" Seth said.

**grabbing a new journal from the stack and opening it. She could feel Seth watching her as she pretended to read.**

**"Have you ever heard of nipsies?" Seth finally asked. "Nope."**

**"They're the smallest fairy people," Seth informed her. "They build little cities and stuff. They're about half an inch tall. The size of tiny bugs."**

**"Cool," Kendra said. She continued to feign disinterest, eyes scanning the shapes of words. It rarely took Seth long to crack.**

**"If you knew something that might be dangerous, but telling people about it could get you in trouble and make you lose a lot of money, would you tell anyone?"**

**"Grandpa!" Kendra called. "Seth has a secret to tell you about the nipsies!"**

**"Tattletale" Seth muttered.**

"You're a traitor," Seth grumbled.

"**I'm just helping Smart Seth defeat Idiot Seth."**

**"I guess Smart Seth is glad," he said reluctantly. "But be careful. Idiot Seth is the guy to watch out for."**

"Oh shoot."

**"So," Grandpa said, taking a seat behind the desk in his office, "how is it you know about the nipsies, Seth?"**

**"Common knowledge?" He felt uncomfortable in the large armchair. He silently vowed to make Kendra pay for this.**

**"Not very common," Grandpa said. "I keep quiet about them. The nipsies are abnormally vulnerable. And they live very far from the yard. Do you know a secret about them?"**

**"Maybe," Seth hedged. "If I tell you, will you promise I won't get in trouble?"**

"Like That'd work." Kendra said.

"**No," Grandpa said, folding his hands on the desk expectantly.**

**"Then I'm not saying another word until I consult an attorney."**

**"You're just digging yourself in deeper," Grandpa warned. "I don't negotiate with delinquents.**

"Wow your guy's family love is through the roof." Vanessa said.

**On the other hand, I have been known to show mercy for forthrightness."**

**"The satyrs told me the nipsies are at war with each other," Seth blurted.**

**"At war? The satyrs must be mistaken. I don't know of a more peaceful society in all of Fablehaven, except perhaps the brownies."**

**"It's true," Seth insisted. "Newel and Doren saw it. The Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms were attacking the others. The bad nipsies say they have a new master. They look different from the others, with gray skin and red eyes."**

**"The satyrs were very descriptive," Grandpa noted suspiciously.**

**"They might have shown me," Seth admitted grudgingly.**

**"Your grandmother would go through the roof if she knew you were spending time with Newel and Doren," Grandpa said. "I can't say I disagree. It would be hard to think of a worse influence on a twelve-year-old boy than a pair of satyrs. Follow their lead, and you'll grow up to be a hobo.**

"Eh I could see it." Warren said jokingly.

**Wait a minute. Were the satyrs stealing from the nipsies again?"**

**Seth tried to keep his expression composed. "I don't know."**

**"I've spoken with Newel and Doren before about taking from the nipsies. I had been apprised that the nipsies had managed to remedy the situation. Let me guess. You've been selling the satyrs more batteries, against my wishes, which compelled them to find a way to reenter the Seven Kingdoms?"**

**Seth held up a finger. "If they hadn't, we would not know the nipsies were at war, and they might have gone extinct."**

"You need to pick Bette battles." Tanu said.

**Grandpa stared at him. "We've spoken before about stolen gold. Around here, it has a way of causing more trouble than it's worth."**

**"Technically, it wasn't stolen," Seth said. "The nipsies gave it to Newel for fending off the Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms."**

**Grandpa's lips pressed together into a thin line. "I'm grateful that you shared this with Kendra, and that she helped you bring it to me. I'm grateful to learn that there is an unusual situation with the nipsies. However, I'm disappointed that you went behind my back to sell batteries to those eternal adolescents, that you accepted dubiously acquired gold as payment, and especially that you strayed so far from the yard without permission. You will not be permitted out of this house unaccompanied for the duration of the summer. And you will not go on chaperoned excursions for three days, which means you will miss joining Tanu and Coulter to check up on the nipsies this afternoon. Furthermore, you will return the gold to me, so I can restore it to the nipsies."**

"What about the whole mercy thing?" Seth asked.

**Seth lowered his eyes, gazing into his lap. "I knew I should have kept my mouth shut," he mumbled miserably. "I was just worried..."**

**"Seth, telling me was the right choice. You did the wrong thing in disobeying the rules. You should know by now how disastrous that can be."**

**"I'm not a moron," Seth said, looking up fiercely. "I made it back just fine, and with useful information. I was careful. I stayed on paths. I had the satyrs with me. Sure, I made some mistakes before I knew much about this place. Terrible ones. I'm sorry for that. But I've also done some things right. Lately, I roam around here all the time on my own without telling anybody. I stick to places I know. Nothing bad ever happens."**

**Grandpa picked up a knickknack from his desk, a tiny, humanlike skull encased in a crystal hemisphere, and absently passed it back and forth between his hands. "I know you've learned a lot from Coulter and the others. You are more capable than you once were to safely negotiate certain areas of Fablehaven. I can understand why that would increase the temptation to ignore boundaries. But these are dangerous times, and there are many perils within these gated woods. Journeying as far from the yard as you did, to an unfamiliar location, relying on the judgment of Newel and Doren, shows a disturbing lack of common sense on your part.**

"Nah it's totally fine." Warren said sarcastically.

"**If I ever choose to expand the areas of Fablehaven where you're allowed to venture alone, I'll have to make you aware of many forbidden but intriguing regions that must be avoided. Seth, how can I ever trust you to keep the more complicated rules if you stubbornly refuse to follow the simple ones? Your repeated failure to keep the basic rules is the main reason I haven't given you more freedom to explore the preserve on your own."**

**"Oh," Seth said awkwardly. "I guess that makes sense. Why didn't you tell me staying in the yard was a test?"**

**"For one thing, it might have made the rule seem even less important." Grandpa set down the flat-bottomed crystal with the skull inside. "None of this is a game. I created the rule for a reason. Bad things really can happen if you wander the woods unaccompanied, even when you think you know what you're doing. Seth, you sometimes act as if you think growing up means the rules don't apply anymore. On the contrary-a big part of growing up is learning self control. You work on that, and then we can talk about expanding your privileges."**

**"Can I earn time off for good behavior?"**

**Grandpa shrugged. "You never know what might happen if that miracle occurs."**

**A petite fairy with short hair as red as a ripe strawberry alighted on the edge of a marble birdbath and peered into the water, her translucent dragonfly wings almost invisible in the sunlight. Her crimson slip of a dress shone like rubies. She twirled and peered over her shoulder at her reflection, pouting her lips and tilting her head at different angles.**

**A yellow fairy with black highlights marking her dazzling butterfly wings stood preening nearby. She had pale skin and long, honey-blonde tresses. The yellow fairy tittered, a sound like miniscule bells tinkling.**

**"Am I missing something?" the red fairy asked with false innocence.**

**"I was trying to imagine my reflection with ugly, colorless wings," the yellow fairy replied.**

**"Funny coincidence," the red fairy remarked, smoothing a hand over her hair. "I was just picturing myself with big, gaudy wings that distracted from my beauty."**

"Oh so fun let's go listen to the fairies brag how great they are!" Seth said.

**The yellow fairy arched an eyebrow. "Why not pretend you have wide, elegant wings that augment rather than detract?"**

**"I tried, but all that came to mind was a horrid backdrop of clumsy yellow curtains."**

**Kendra could not resist smiling.**

**She had developed a new habit of pretending to take a nap outside near a birdbath or a flower bed and listening to the fairies gossip. The fairies did not often speak to her if she tried to initiate a conversation. After leading the fairies into battle and becoming fairykind, Kendra had grown too popular for her own good. All of the fairies were jealous.**

**Among the happy consequences of the gift the fairies had bestowed was Kendra's ability to understand the language they spoke, along with several other related magical tongues. They all effortlessly sounded like English to her. She enjoyed using the talent to eavesdrop.**

"Kendra your above that." Warren said.

"**Look at Kendra sprawling on that bench," the yellow fairy muttered in a confidential tone, "lounging around like she owns the yard." Kendra fought back laughter. She loved when the fairies discussed her. The only conversations she liked more were when they bad-mouthed Seth.**

"Hey! I'm not ok with that." Seth states.

"**I have no problem with her," the redhead chimed in her tiny voice. "In fact, she made me this bracelet." She held up her arm to display the trinket, thin as a spider's thread.**

**"It's too small for her awkward fingers to have made it," the yellow fairy objected.**

**Kendra knew the yellow fairy was right. She had never made a bracelet, let alone for a fairy. It was funny-even though the fairies rarely spoke to Kendra, they often debated over whom she favored the most.**

**"She has many special talents," the red fairy insisted. "You'd be astonished by the gifts Kendra offers to her closest friends. Those of us who fought alongside her to imprison Bahumat share a special bond. Do you recall that day? I believe you were an imp at the time."**

**The yellow fairy kicked water at the red fairy and stuck out her tongue.**

**"Please, darling," the red fairy said, "let's not stoop to impish behavior."**

**"We who spent time as imps know secrets that you don't," the yellow fairy said slyly.**

**"I'm sure you're an expert about warts and crooked limbs," the red fairy agreed.**

**"Darkness affords different opportunities than light."**

"This is strange." Bracken said.

"**Like a ghastly reflection?"**

**"What if we could be dark and beautiful?" the yellow fairy whispered. Kendra had to strain to hear. "I pay no heed to such rumors," the red fairy replied haughtily, flitting away.**

**Kendra held very still until, through her cracked eyelids, she saw the yellow fairy take flight. The exchange had ended on a strange note. The restored fairies did not often refer to their time as imps. Those who had been imps normally seemed ashamed. The red fairy had dealt the other a low blow. What had the yellow fairy meant about being dark and beautiful, and why had the red fairy ended the conversation so abruptly?**

**Kendra arose and walked toward the house. The sun was plunging toward the horizon. Upstairs, her suitcase was packed. Tomorrow she would be driven to Hartford, and then fly to New York to meet a connecting flight to Atlanta.**

**The thought of meeting with the Knights of the Dawn filled her with worry. It all seemed so mysterious. Even without the threat of traitors, it did not sound like a place where she belonged. Her chief comfort was remembering that Warren, Coulter, and Tanu would be there as well. Nothing too terrible would happen with them around.**

"We're basically just your body guards." Warren said while making a finger gun.

**As Kendra walked up the steps to the covered porch, she saw Tanu and Coulter reach the yard in a cart pulled by Hugo. When the golem came to a stop, Tanu and Coulter sprang to the ground and started toward the house. They both wore serious expressions and walked purposefully. There was no panic in their movements, but it looked like they had bad news.**

**"How'd it go?" Kendra called. "Something very strange is going on," Tanu replied. "Go tell Stan we need to talk."**

**Kendra ran into the house. "Grandpa! Tanu and Coulter found something!"**

"Shall we call you the messenger now?" Warren asked.

**Her cry brought not only her grandfather but Grandma, Warren, and Seth as well. "Are the nipsies still at it?" Seth asked.**

**"I don't know," Kendra answered, turning to face the back door as Tanu and Coulter entered.**

**"What is it?" Grandpa asked.**

**"When we approached the meadow of the Seven Kingdoms, a shadowy figure fled," Tanu said. "We gave chase, but the scoundrel was too quick."**

**"It wasn't quite like anything we'd ever seen," Coulter said. "Maybe three feet tall, it wore a dark cloak and ran low to the ground, in a crouch." As he used his hands expressively, Kendra was reminded that Coulter was missing a pinky and part of the neighboring ring finger.**

**"A hermit troll?" Grandpa asked.**

**Tanu shook his head. "A hermit troll could not have entered the meadow. And this did not quite fit the description."**

**"We have a theory," Coulter affirmed. "We'll get to that in a second."**

**"What's a hermit troll?" Seth asked.**

**"The smallest of the trolls," Warren said. "They never stay in one place long, setting up temporary lairs anywhere from a quiet attic, to under a bridge, to inside a barrel."**

"You know I kind of miss bubda now." Warren said.

"Why?" Seth asked.

"He taught me a good few things about Yahtzee." Warren replied. "I grew quite fond of him."

"**Go on," Grandpa encouraged Tanu. "We got inside the hill and found the Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms gearing up for war again, in spite of the extensive damage Newel had caused."**

**"Stan," Coulter said, "you wouldn't have believed it. The Sixth and Seventh Kingdoms are draped in black, with most of the citizens bearing arms. The nipsies in those kingdoms were as Seth described, with gray skin, dark hair, and red eyes. They tried to bribe Tanu and me to assist them, and issued threats when we refused. If I didn't know better, I would say they had fallen."**

**"But nipsies don't have a fallen state," Grandma said. "At least nothing documented. Fairies can turn to imps, nymphs can become mortal, but who ever heard of a nipsie being transfigured?"**

"And thus I bring you 'fablehaven: grip of the shadow plague" Warren said.

**"Nobody," Tanu said. "But there they were. Which leads me to my theory. I think the creature we were chasing was some species of fallen dwarf."**

**"Dwarfs don't fall either!" Grandpa huffed, clearly perturbed.**

**"Tell that to this one," Coulter muttered.**

**"I'll make the call." Warren said.**

**"It's our best guess," Tanu said. "We interrogated the nipsies to see how all of this originated. Evidently it began when they were exploring the preserve, looking for ways to keep the satyrs out. That was how the dark ones met their new master."**

"That's kind of spooky."

"**When we started fishing for specifics, they clammed up," Coulter said.**

**"What could make a nipsie fall?" Grandpa mused, as if speaking to himself."I've never seen anything like it," Coulter said.**

**"Nor heard of anything like it," Tanu added.**

"Well there's a first for everything you know." Seth said in his grandpa voice.

"**Nor I," Grandpa sighed. "Normally, my first call would be to the Sphinx. Maybe it still should be. Friend or foe, he has always given sound advice, and none can match his knowledge of lore. Does the condition appear to be spreading?"**

**Tanu noisily cracked his knuckles. "According to some of the normal nipsies, after the Fifth Kingdom was invaded, a good portion of those nipsies were carried off and became like the others."**

**"Do you want Tanu and me to skip meeting with the Knights?" Coulter offered.**

**"No, you should attend," Grandpa said. "I want all three of you watching over Kendra and learning what you can."**

**"I overheard the fairies saying something strange today," Kendra said. "It might be related. They were talking about a way to be dark like imps, but beautiful. One fairy seemed enamored by the idea. The other flew away immediately."**

**"Strange things are certainly afoot at Fablehaven,"**

"You bet."

Grandpa said. "I had better go make some calls."

**Grandpa, Grandma, and Warren left the room.**

**"Seth, a word, if I may," Tanu said. Seth crossed to the hulking Samoan, who shepherded him into the corner. Kendra lingered to hear. Tanu glanced at her and went on.**

**"I noticed some interesting tracks in the meadow of the Seven Kingdoms," Tanu said casually. "Looked like the satyrs had some help gaining entry."**

**"Don't tell Grandpa," Seth pleaded. "If we were going to tell him, we already would have," Tanu said. "Coulter and I figured you were in enough hot water already. Just keep in mind, Hugo is not a toy for helping satyrs steal."**

"You give Seth something magical to use and then your like oh crap what have i done." Warren said.

"Please, give me one example." Seth said.

"Literally anything you've touched."

"Ya right."

"Brackens horn, any of the artifacts, magical creatures like the satyrs, turning a fairy into an imp, opening a window, courage potions, meeting the centaurs, the singing sisters, vasilis, shall I continue?"

"Ya ya ya most of those were based off good intentions!"

"Guys chill out." Kendra said. "What has you so worked up?"

"Just sitting here reading for hours upon hours." Seth moaned.

"Maybe we should take a break." Ruth suggested.

"Everyone meet back here in an hour." Stan said.

They dispersed and in an hour everyone was back and feeling a little less restless.

"Gotcha," Seth said with a relieved smile.

**Tanu looked at Kendra. "Can you keep this one under your hat?" His eyes demanded a yes.**

**"Sure," she said. "I've filled my daily quota for ratting on Seth."**


	4. New knights

"That's the end." Vanessa said.

"I'll take it" Ruth said.

**Chapter Four**

**I don't own fablehaven**

**New Knights**

**When the baggage carousel jolted to life, passengers from Kendra's flight pressed to be closest to the opening from which their belongings would emerge. A parade of suitcases commenced, many of them black and about the same size. Several had ribbons tied around the handles to help the owners differentiate between them. Kendra had placed smiley-face stickers on hers.**

"Classic Kendra move right there." Seth said.

**It was peculiar hanging out with Tanu, Coulter, and Warren at the baggage claim. She associated them with magical potions, enchanted relics, and supernatural creatures.**

"That's more of Vanessa's thing. I'm more of the do it all guy." Warren said.

**This setting seemed much too common. Tanu dipped a pretzel into a small plastic container of molten cheese. Warren turned to the final page of his paperback. Coulter penned an answer on the crossword from the in-flight magazine. Around them waited a random assortment of passengers. A pair of business travelers stood nearest, wearing slightly rumpled suits and expensive wristwatches.**

**Kendra lunged forward when her suitcase appeared, darting between a nun and a grungy guy in a tie-dyed shirt and sandals. Tanu accepted the bag after she yanked it off the carousel. Their other luggage followed soon after.**

**Tanu wadded his napkins into his cheese cup and chucked it into a garbage can, then collected his baggage. Coulter threw out the magazine.**

**"Anybody want to read about a genetically enhanced superspy?" Warren asked, waving his paperback. "It's a bestseller. Lots of action. Twist ending." He held it toward the trash receptacle.**

**"I might check it out," Kendra said, uneasy about the thought of discarding an undamaged book.**

"N E R D." Seth said.

**She zipped the rescued paperback into her suitcase, then extended the handle so she could wheel the bag around.**

**The four of them headed away from the baggage claim toward a set of automatic doors. A man in a suit and a black cap was holding a sign with the name Tanugatoa printed in marker.**

**"We have a chauffeur?" Kendra asked, impressed.**

**"For going out of the city, a limousine cost only a little more than a taxi," Tanu explained.**

"Nah we like to live life to its fullest." Warren said.

**"Why isn't my name on the sign?" Warren complained.**

**"My name is the rarest," Tanu said with a smile. He greeted the man with the sign and waved him off from trying to help carry bags. They followed the man out to the curb and along a sidewalk to where a black limousine with tinted windows idled. The driver, a well-dressed Middle Eastern man, loaded their suitcases into the trunk and then held the door as they entered the vehicle. Warren kept his smaller suitcase.**

**"I've never ridden in a limo before," Kendra confided to Coulter.**

**"It's been a while for me too," Coulter said.**

**She and Coulter sat on one side, facing Tanu and Warren on the other, with plenty of room between. Kendra ran a hand over the plush upholstery. The air smelled like pine, with a faint undercurrent of cigarette smoke.**

"What kinda limo is that?" Marla said. Warren started laughing at that

**After Tanu confirmed the address with the driver, the limousine nosed out into a clogged lane. They made small talk as the driver found the highway.**

**"How long is the trip?" Kendra asked.**

**"About an hour," Coulter said.**

**"Any last-minute tips?" Kendra asked.**

**"Don't reveal your name to anyone," Coulter said. "Don't mention Fablehaven, your grandparents, or where you come from. Don't tell your age. Don't show your face. Don't allude to any of your abilities. Don't mention the Sphinx. Don't speak unless you must. Most of the Knights eagerly gather information. Goes with the territory. Whether they're good or bad, I say the less they know the better."**

**"So what can I do?" Kendra asked. "Maybe I should just wear the invisibility glove and hide in a corner!"**

**"Let me qualify Coulter's recommendation not to speak," Tanu said. "Feel free to ask questions of your own. Get to know people. The fact that you're new gives you a valid excuse to solicit information. Just try not to reveal much. Gather info, don't dispense it. Be wary of any stranger who takes too much interest in you. Don't go anywhere alone with anyone."**

**"We'll stay close, but not too close," Warren said. "We all know other Knights, a few of them rather well. They will be able to spot us. We don't want to make it too easy for others to associate you with us."**

**"Do we have you wound up yet?" Coulter asked.**

**"I'm pretty nervous," Kendra confessed.**

**"Relax, have fun!" Warren encouraged.**

"It's ok your just gonna get a part of a secret organization and you don't want to reveal any secrets, make sure nobody knows your with us cause that'd be bad, oh and have fun!" Seth said. "She needs more confidence then hat. She a fragile little flower who just needs to be nurtured an-"

"Oh please stop, I beg you." Kendra said.

"**Right, while I try to follow all of my instructions and avoid getting abducted," Kendra moaned.**

**"That's the spirit!" Warren cheered.**

**Other cars on the highway had their lights on as dusk approached. Kendra settled back in her seat. The others had warned her it might be a late night. She had tried to sleep on the plane, but had felt too anxious, and the seat had not reclined enough. Instead she had used headphones to listen to the flight's different audio channels, including hit-and miss selections of stand-up comedy and pop music.**

**Now, in the dim limo, she had a little more room, and drowsiness caught up to her. She decided not to fight it. Her eyelids drooped and she spent a few minutes on the edge of sleep, hearing the others make occasional comments as if from underwater.**

**In her restless dream, Kendra found herself roaming a carnival holding a blue cloud of cotton candy on a disposable white stick. At the age of four, Kendra had gotten separated from her family at a fairground for almost half an hour, and the scene before her was quite similar. Calliope music hooted and shrilled. A nearby Ferris wheel ground round and round, elevating riders high into the evening sky before plunging them back down, the mechanism squealing and growling like the ride was about to collapse.**

"This dream was so weird." Kendra said.

"Reliving child hood memories aye?" Warren said.

"I'm fifteen you know that right?" Kendra asked.

**Kendra caught glimpses of family members in the crowd, but when she tried to shoulder through the throng to reach them, they were gone. On one such occasion, she thought she saw her mom walk behind a popcorn stand. When Kendra followed, she found herself confronted by a tall stranger with a gray afro. Smiling like he knew a secret, the man tore away a big piece of her cotton candy and stuck it in his mouth. Kendra held her treat away from him, glaring, and a fat woman wearing braces plucked at it from behind. Soon Kendra found herself pushing through the multitude, trying to get away from the many strangers devouring her cotton candy. But it was no use. The entire crowd was stealing from her, and soon all she retained in her grasp was a naked white stick.**

"Oh no!" Seth said.

**When Coulter jostled her awake she felt relieved, although a lingering unsettled feeling persisted. She must be even more stressed about the evening than she realized to have such an obnoxious dream!**

**Warren had opened his bag and was dispersing robes and masks. The long robes were constructed of a thin, strong material, dark gray, with a slight shimmer. "We're almost there," Warren informed her. Unfastening her seatbelt, Kendra pulled the robe over her head. Warren handed her a silver mask. Coulter put on his. All four masks looked identical. Smooth and shiny, the simple, grinning mask covered her entire face. It felt a little heavier than she liked.**

**Kendra tapped her knuckles against the metallic forehead. "Are these things bulletproof?"**

**"They're not flimsy," Tanu said.**

**"Use your hood," Coulter suggested, his voice somewhat muffled by his mask. His hood was up, leaving none of his head exposed. He could have been anyone.**

"That's the idea."

**Warren handed Kendra light, snug gloves that matched the cloak. She removed her shoes and stepped into gray slippers. Warren and Tanu put on their masks.**

**"How will I know you?" Kendra asked.**

**"Tanu will be easiest because of his size," Warren said. "But he isn't the only large Knight." Warren raised a hand and laid two fingers beside his temple. "This will be our sign. You need never make it. We'll keep you in view."**

**The limousine turned off the road and advanced through open gates along a smooth driveway flanked by white statues of maidens clad in togas, armored heroes, animals, mermaids, and centaurs. Up ahead the mansion came into view.**

**"A castle," Kendra gasped.**

**Illuminated by numerous lights in the yard and dozens of electric sconces, the fortress loomed bright in the dwindling twilight. Built entirely of yellowish stone blocks, the broad stronghold boasted multiple rounded towers of varying height, a lowered drawbridge, a raised portcullis, lancet windows, arrow loops, and battlements atop the walls. Liveried servants stood at attention at either side of the drawbridge, bearing lanterns.**

"That's so cool!" Seth complained.

**Kendra turned to her masked companions. "I know you call yourselves Knights, but seriously?"**

"Heh didn't think of that one." Seth said.

"**Fairy collectors," Warren grunted. "They tend to be an eccentric crowd, but Wesley and Marion Fairbanks might take the prize."**

**The limousine pulled to a stop. The driver opened the door facing the drawbridge. They got out, and Tanu pulled the chauffeur aside, speaking softly and handing him some money.**

**A servant wearing a powdered wig and red knickers over white stockings approached and offered a dignified bow. "Welcome, honored guests. Please follow me."**

**Kendra saw a battered white van pulling up behind the limo. The driver was wearing a silver mask. Off to one side of the grounds a pair of helicopters sat on the lawn. In another area a few dozen cars were parked, ranging from luxury vehicles to junk-lot candidates.**

**The costumed servant escorted Kendra and her friends toward the drawbridge. Her robe reached her ankles, allowing her to take normal strides without feeling too billowy. The mask limited her peripheral vision, but otherwise she could see fine.**

**The group passed into a cobbled courtyard, lit by electric cressets. Swirls of insects orbited the light sources. A few clusters of robed figures in silver masks strolled the area conversing. Above them, banners and flags hung limply in the still night air. The servant led Kendra and the others across the courtyard to a heavy, ironbound door, opened it with a key, stepped aside, and bowed.**

"Yup really selling it."

**Warren led the way into an ornate antechamber at the mouth of a cavernous hallway. A desk sat off to one side of the antechamber, before a pair of curtained booths. A person in a silver mask sat at the desk. Behind stood four robed figures, their silver masks trimmed with gold.**

**A short woman wearing a mauve gown greeted them.**

"Ooh mauve"

"**Welcome, travelers, to our humble retreat. May you find safe harbor here until duty whisks you elsewhere." She had an average build, and looked to be in her fifties. Her chestnut hair was plaited in an antiquated style. A ring on her left hand held an obscenely huge diamond.**

**"A pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Fairbanks," Warren said with a genteel air. "Our thanks for opening your home to us."**

**She flushed with pleasure. "Anytime. No invitation required!"**

**Behind her stood a jovial man in a powdered wig eating chicken and vegetables off of a skewer. "Quite so," he said, juice dribbling down his chin.**

**"A pleasure as always, Wesley," Warren acknowledged, inclining his head.**

**Biting into a mushroom, the man in the wig nodded back.**

**Warren turned to face the four masked figures in front of the booths. "North," he said, jerking a thumb at himself. "West." He gestured at Tanu and Coulter. Then he indicated Kendra. "Novice."**

**"The novice is East," said the man seated at the desk.**

**Warren leaned in to Kendra. "These are the four Lieutenants. They verify who we are under the masks, as a security measure. Each oversees a certain group, named by the points of the compass. The Eastern Lieutenant will confirm your identity."**

"This sounds like a spy movie now." Seth said. "And mean while I have to stop some lousy shadow plague."

**Warren went into a booth with one of the figures in a gold-trimmed mask. A different Lieutenant marshaled Tanu into the other booth. Warren emerged promptly, mask in place, and another Lieutenant, the tallest one, guided Kendra into the vacant booth.**

**"Remove your mask, please," said a gruff voice.**

"Moment of truth."

**Kendra took off the mask.**

**The Lieutenant nodded. "Welcome. You may proceed. We'll speak more shortly."**

**Kendra replaced her mask and exited the booth at the same time as Coulter left the other one. Together they followed Warren and Tanu down the extravagant hall, treading on a long red carpet edged with intricate embroidery. Tapestries hung from the walls and full suits of gleaming armor flanked the corridor. Warren and Tanu passed through white double doors into a spacious salon dominated by a tremendous chandelier. Robed figures stood about, most of them conversing in groups of two or three. Sofas, chairs, and divans were spaced around the room to allow for many separate groups to sit and chat in comfort. The outside of the home might look like a fortress, but inside it was definitely a mansion.**

**Tanu and Warren split up after entering the room.**

**Following their lead, Kendra wandered over to a corner on her own. A couple of masked figures nodded at her as she passed. She nodded back, terrified to say a word.**

**Finding a place where she could stand with her back to the wall, Kendra surveyed the crowd. She was a good height for her age, but in this room, she was on the short end of the spectrum. A few of the other Knights were unusually tall, a few were abnormally fat, several looked broad and burly, a decent number were obviously women, and one was small enough to be eight years old.**

"I'm afraid they could say the same thing about you." Seth said.

"Didn't you here the whole talk for my age thing?" Kendra asked

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know we were talking about physical age." Seth said teasingly. Kendra rolled her eyes at him.

**All wore the same silver masks and similar robes. Kendra counted more than fifty Knights in total.**

**The nearest Knights were a group of three, talking and laughing. After a while, one of them turned and stared at Kendra. Kendra tilted her face away, but it was too late, the figure was already crossing to her. "And what are you doing here in the corner?" asked a teasing female voice with a heavy French accent.**

**Kendra had not identified the stranger as a woman until she spoke. A good answer refused to enter her mind-she felt much too self-conscious. "Just waiting for the meeting."**

**"But the small talk is part of the meeting!" the woman enthused. "Where have you been lately?"**

**A direct question. Should she lie? She settled on vagueness. "Here and there."**

"Ya definitely a natural." Warren said.

"**I recently returned from the Dominican Republic," the woman said. "Absolutely perfect weather. I was tracking an alleged member of the Society, a man who was asking questions about acquiring a dullion." Kendra had seen a dullion before, made of straw, when she was fleeing her home earlier in the summer. Vanessa had explained that they were like golems, although not quite as powerful. "Rumor has it there is a warlock on the island who can create them. Can you imagine the implications if that art has survived? I have been unable to confirm the tale, so who knows. I don't recognize you, and you sound young, are you new?"**

**The woman spoke so frankly that Kendra felt considerable pressure to open up. Besides, it would be almost impossible for Kendra to disguise her youth. "I'm fairly young, yes."**

**"I started young myself, you know-"**

**"There you are," Warren interrupted. Beside him stood a tall figure in a silver mask with gold trim.**

**"If you will excuse us," the Lieutenant apologized to the Frenchwoman. "This young lady has an appointment with the Captain."**

**"I was about to guess she was a novice," the woman gushed. "So nice to meet you, hopefully we can work together sometime."**

**"Nice to meet you," Kendra replied as Warren took her elbow and guided her away.**

"I don't like that one." Seth said.

"Me or the lady?" Warren joked.

**The three of them exited the room and strode down the grandiose hallway to a smaller corridor. Some distance down the corridor, they stopped at a mahogany door. "Your presence is irregular," the Lieutenant informed Warren. "Inducting a minor is irregular as well," Warren said. "I promised her grandfather she wouldn't leave my sight."**

**"You know me, Warren," the Lieutenant said. "Where would the child be safer than here?"**

**"Again, the operative word is child," Warren insisted.**

**The Lieutenant gave a curt nod and opened the door. The three of them entered. Three people were already in the room. One stood over by a wide fireplace, wearing a silver robe and a golden mask. The other two people wore silver masks and robes like Kendra's.**

**"Warren?" asked the figure in the gold mask in a feminine Southern accent. "What are you doing here?"**

**"Captain, this candidate is a minor," Warren said. "I have been mandated by her guardian not to let her out of my sight. It is the condition of her attendance."**

**"Understandable," the figure in the golden mask said. "Very well, I suppose we are ready to begin."**

**Kendra leaned over to Warren. "How did she know who you-"**

**"You're curious how I knew it was Warren entering with you?" the Captain asked. She tapped her mask. "This golden mask sees through all the silver ones.**

"See they even get cool gadgets." Seth said.

**I have to know all the Knights under my command. I hand select them, and I keep watch. In case any of you are wondering, no, this is not my real voice, it's another special feature of my mask. Lieutenant, shall we proceed?"**

**The Lieutenant removed his mask. He had bushy red hair and freckles on his broad brow. He looked oddly familiar, but Kendra could not place him. "You three novices are receiving knighthood today. Today's recruits have been assigned to the East, and so I am your Lieutenant, Dougan Fisk. You will know my face, and I yours. Please remove your masks."**

"Poor Dougan." Kendra said solemnly.

**Kendra looked to Warren. He nodded, taking off his own mask. Kendra pulled hers off as well.**

**One of the other people wearing a silver mask was shorter than Kendra. Without her mask, Kendra saw that she was quite elderly, probably older than Grandma, with a narrow, wrinkled face and steel gray hair pulled into a bun. The other person in the room was a boy a few inches taller than Kendra. He was slim, and could not be past his teenage years, nice-looking, with tan, flawless skin, thin lips, and dark eyes.**

"Ugh" Kendra said with a tight lipped expression.

**He looked at Kendra and for a moment appeared absolutely awestruck, staring at her with such naked admiration that she wanted to hide behind her mask before she blushed.**

"Probably the whole fairykind thing." Warren said.

**After the initial stunned reaction, he managed to regulate his expression. He raised his eyebrows slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching toward an uncertain smile.**

**"The Captain almost always keeps the mask on," Dougan explained. "Our brotherhood exists mainly to combat a secretive and subtle organization, the Society of the Evening Star, and so secrecy is required on our part as well. We use checks and balances to monitor one another. The Captain knows all of the Knights. The four Lieutenants each know the Knights assigned to them, along with the identity of the Captain. Each Knight knows the Lieutenant he or she reports to, as you now know me. And each of the Knights knows some other Knights, as you are now meeting one another. Be most careful about revealing your membership in this brotherhood to others, even after they have reason to guess it."**

**"Wh-wh-wh-why are we East?" the teenage boy asked, tripping painfully over the first consonant.**

"Stupid stutter."

"**No good reason, just a tool of delegation," the Captain said. "Despite being called the Knights of the Dawn, this is not a military body. Titles like 'Captain' and 'Lieutenant' are strictly for organizational purposes. We compartmentalize information for the security of all. Your participation in this group is strictly voluntary. You can quit the brotherhood at any time. We do demand secrecy, however. If we did not trust that you could handle that requirement, you would not be here."**

**"As part of agreeing to be a Knight, you'll occasionally receive assignments specific to your area of expertise," Dougan said. "Generally, until you resign, by accepting membership in the brotherhood, you are committing to come when called and to serve where needed. All costs incurred will be reimbursed. In addition, you will receive a stipend to more than cover lost wages. If you betray secrets or perform in a manner that causes us unusual concern for the safety of the Knights, we reserve the right to expel you from the brotherhood."**

**"We are friends to all magical creatures and to the refuges where they dwell," the Captain said. "We are foes to all who seek to harm and exploit them. Have you any questions?" "D-d-don't you find it peculiar that we can't know who our leader is?" the teenage boy asked.**

"Wait is this why you told me I'd help sell it if I stutter?" Bracken asked Kendra.

"Ya, you'll see how eventually." Kendra said back.

"**Not ideal," the Captain admitted. "But, regrettably, necessary."**

**"The word that comes to mind is cowardly," the teenager said.**

**Kendra felt her pulse quicken. She would never have expected such boldness from a teenager with a stuttering problem. It made her feel simultaneously excited and uncomfortable. The Captain was about the right height to be the Sphinx. How would he react?**

**"I've been called worse," the Captain said, remaining friendly. "You are not the first Knight to suggest dispensing with the masks. But given a recent breech in security that I am not at liberty to discuss, compartmentalizing our information has become more crucial than ever."**

**"I get not sharing everything with everybody," the teenager said. "I j-j-j, j-j-j, I only wish I knew who was giving me assignments."**

**"I suspect, were our positions reversed, I would feel as you do, Gavin," the Captain said. "Have you paused to consider that perhaps behind this mask is a person known to the Society?**

"The irony though." Warren said.

**Perhaps I wear this mask not for my benefit, but to protect the other Knights, to prevent the Society from using me to get to them?"**

**Gavin stared at his feet. "M-makes sense."**

**"Chin up, I called for questions. Are there any other concerns?" "I beg your pardon," said the older lady, "but aren't these two a little young for this kind of service?"**

**The Captain picked up a poker and jabbed a log in the fire, sending up a flurry of sparks. "Given these dangerous times, we've tightened our entry requirements more than ever. On top of a spotless background, and overwhelming evidence of reliable character, prospective Knights must also have unique strategic value. Kendra and Gavin both possess unusual talents that qualify them to lend highly specialized assistance. Not unlike your usefulness, Estelle, as a gifted archivist and researcher."**

**"Don't omit my world-renowned expertise with a broadsword," the elderly woman bragged. She winked at Kendra and Gavin. "That was a joke."**

"It's the worst when old people make a joke That they think is funny but it really isn't." Seth said.

"**Anything else?" the Captain asked, facing each of them in turn. None of them volunteered any further questions or comments. "Then I will formally induct you and leave you to mingle. Keep in mind, now as always, you are welcome to decline the invitation to join our community. If you wish to proceed, raise your right hand." The Captain raised his.**

**Kendra, Gavin, and Estelle lifted their hands.**

**"Repeat after me. I pledge to keep the secrets of the Knights of the Dawn, and to aid my fellow Knights in their worthy goals."**

**They repeated the words, and then lowered their hands.**

**"Congratulations," the Captain said. "Your knighthood is official. Glad to have you on our side. Take a few minutes to get acquainted before we begin the gathering." The Captain crossed to the door and exited the room. "Not so bad, was it?" Warren said over Kendra's shoulder, patting her on the back. "I'm Warren Burgess, by the way," he said to the other new Knights.**

**"Estelle Smith," the elderly woman said.**

**"Gavin Rose," the teenager said.**

**"Kendra Sorenson," Kendra said.**

**"Warren and I go way back," Dougan said.**

**"Since before you were a Lieutenant." Warren lowered his voice slightly. "Since we last spoke, you've seen the Captain without his mask. Just between the five of us, who is he?"**

**"You sure it's a he?" Dougan asked.**

**"Ninety percent. Manly build, manly walk."**

**"You've been out of touch for a while," Dougan said. "I thought you'd abandoned the cause."**

"Eh I've been busy." Warren said.

"**I'm still around," Warren said, not elaborating that he had spent the previous few years as a catatonic albino. "Kendra, you've met Dougan's brother."**

**"His brother?" Kendra asked. Then she realized why Dougan looked familiar. "Oh, Maddox! That's right, his last name was Fisk."**

**Dougan nodded. "He's not officially a Knight, hears his own drum beating too loudly for that, though he's helped us out on occasion."**

**"But here we are, monopolizing the conversation!" Warren apologized. "Gavin Rose, you say? Any relation to Chuck Rose?"**

**"M-m-my father." "No joke? I never knew Chuck had a kid. He's one of our best guys. Why isn't he here with you?"**

**"He died seven months ago," Gavin said. "Christmas day, in the Himalayas. One of the Seven Sanctuaries."**

**Warren's smile vanished. "I'm sorry to hear that. I've been out of the loop."**

"Ya clearly." Seth said. "Just kidding."

**"P-p-p-people wonder why I want to follow in his footsteps," Gavin said, looking at the floor. "I never knew Mom. I have no siblings. Dad kept me a secret from all of you because he didn't want me to get involved, at least not until I was eighteen. But he shared what he did with me, taught me a lot. I have some natural aptitude for it."**

**"There's an understatement," Dougan chuckled. "Chuck's best friend, Arlin Santos, brought Gavin to our attention. You remember Arlin, don't you, Warren? He's here tonight. We had been hearing rumors for years that Chuck was secretly raising a child. Little did we know how much he took after his old man, and then some. We actually have assignments for Gavin and Kendra immediately following the gathering."**

"Stupid Grand Canyon."

"**An assignment she can do here?" Warren asked.**

**Dougan shook his head. "Going someplace. Tomorrow morning."**

**Warren scowled. "Not without me, and not unless I sign off. Dougan, she's fourteen."**

**"I'll fill you in," Dougan promised. "It's important. We'll keep her safe."**

**There was a knock at the door. "Masks," Dougan said, covering his face. "Enter," he called, once the others had done likewise.**

**A figure in a silver mask peered in. "Time for the gathering," a nasally male voice announced.**

**"Thank you," Dougan nodded at the speaker. "Off we go, then."**


	5. First assignment

"This ones done." Ruth said.

"I'll go next." Stan said.

**Chapter Five**

**First Assignment**

**Dougan and Warren led the way down the lavish main hall. As Kendra passed a suit of armor, she glimpsed her warped reflection in the breastplate, an anonymous silver mask under a hood. Gavin fell into step beside her.**

**"Nice how we got to know each other so well," he said bitterly.**

**"They didn't leave us much time," Kendra agreed.**

**"I don't always stutter, you know. It gets worse when I'm uncomfortable. I hate it. Once I get going, I focus on my words too much, and the problem snowballs."**

**"It isn't a big deal."**

**They advanced down the hall in silence. Eyes aimed downward, Gavin rubbed the sleeve of his robe between his fingers. The quietness became awkward. "Kind of a cool castle," Kendra said.**

**"Not bad," he replied. "It's funny, I thought for sure I'd be the youngest Knight, and then pretty much the first person I meet has me beat by two years. Maybe it will turn out that the Captain is really just a freakishly tall third-grader."**

"You could say that."

**Kendra smiled. "I turn fifteen in October."**

**"Eighteen months younger, then. You must have quite a talent."**

**"I guess somebody thinks so."**

**"Don't feel any pressure to talk about it. I can't really share mine either." They were almost to the end of the hall. Gavin rubbed the side of his mask. "These masks are the worst. Instant claustrophobia. I'm still not sold on the idea. It seems to me like masks would make it easier for traitors to hide. But I guess these guys have been at it longer than I have. The system must have some benefits. You know what the assembly is about?"**

**"No. You?"**

**"A little. D-d-d-dougan mentioned they're concerned about the Society and tightening security."**

**At the end of the hall they passed through a grand doorway into an airy ballroom. Strands of tiny white lights illuminated the room, the glossy wood floor gently reflecting the mellow luminance. Twenty round tables stood around the ballroom, positioned to make every seat as close as possible to a lectern on a stage. Each table had six chairs, and most were occupied by Knights. Kendra estimated there were now at least a hundred present.**

**Only the tables farthest from the stage had vacant chairs. Warren and Dougan claimed the last two seats at a table toward the middle of the room. Kendra, Gavin, and Estelle crossed to the rear table farthest from the entrance, filling in the remaining three seats. Kendra had scarcely scooted her chair forward when the Knights arose together. The Captain, spotlighted, strode to the lectern, golden mask flashing. The Knights burst into applause.**

**The Captain motioned for the Knights to be seated. The clapping subsided and the Knights sank back into their chairs.**

**"Thank you all for assembling on such short notice," the Captain said into a microphone, his voice now a dignified male with a clipped English accent. "We try to keep united gatherings to a minimum, but I felt recent circumstances warranted a special convocation. Not all eligible Knights were able to attend. Seven were unreachable, two were hospitalized, and twelve were engaged in activities that I granted priority over today's gathering."**

**"You know I do not relish wasting words. Over the past five years, the Society has become more active than during any other period in history. If preserves keep falling at the present rate, none will be functional within two decades. Furthermore, we know that our brotherhood has been infiltrated by members of the Society. I am not referring to leaked information-I am referring to full-fledged members of the Society wearing masks and robes among us."**

"No! Say it ain't so!" Seth said.

"How many of those are actually innocent?" Kendra wondered.

**"If any of you know concrete reasons why I should reconsider the ruling against a certain individual, please feel at liberty to consult with me after this meeting. I take no joy in disenfranchising allies. All of these Knights could have been useful to us in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. My intent is not to deplete our ranks. But I would rather be weakened than crippled. I ask each of you to set a new standard in loyalty, in discretion, and in vigilance. Do not share secrets, even with other Knights, unless the information is desperately relevant to the recipient. Please report any suspicious activities, along with any new intelligence you encounter. Despite our most diligent efforts, traitors could remain among us."**

**He paused, letting his words sink in. The room was silent.**

"Sooner or later someone's gonna cough and mess the whole thing up." Seth said.

"**I also gathered you here tonight to petition you for information. Each of you is familiar with the preserves hidden across the globe. Beyond these, there are certain refuges not commonly known, even among the Knights of the Dawn. Not even I know all of them. Some of you know about some of these places. To my unspeakable alarm, even our most hidden sanctuaries are now coming under attack. In fact, they are rapidly becoming the focus of Society activity. I ask those of you who can identify the locations of any of these special refuges, or even rumors as to where they may be, to report such information to your Lieutenant or directly to me. Even if you feel sure we are already aware of all you know, I encourage you to come forward. I would rather hear redundant reports than risk missing anything. Since the Society is successfully finding these most confidential refuges, it is time for the Knights to take a more active role in protecting them."**

"Real smooth."

**Another round of discussion began. One of the masked figures at Kendra's table muttered, "I knew this was coming."**

**Kendra did not like it. If the Sphinx was the Captain, as well as a traitor, this would all be working to his advantage. He would be able to pass along everything the Knights of the Dawn knew to the Society of the Evening Star. All she could do was hope she was wrong.**

**"Allow me to conclude my remarks dwelling on the positive. All signs indicate that we are entering the darkest chapter of our long history. But we are rising to the occasion. Amid our increasing trials, we continue to score key victories, and we remain a step ahead of our adversaries. We must not relax our efforts. Only with relentless diligence and daily acts of heroism will we overcome our opponents. They are determined, they are patient, they are smart. But I know each of you, and I know we are up to the challenge. The coming season may be our darkest, but I am convinced it will also be our greatest. Preparations are in motion to weather the coming storm. Many of you will receive new assignments tonight.**

"That's right." Kendra said.

"Then everyone gets duped by Patton when he really moved it to Fablehaven." Seth said.

**Much has been asked of you. Much is being asked of you. Much will be asked of you. I salute your past, present, and future valor. Thank you."**

**As the Captain strode away from the lectern, Kendra rose to join the standing ovation. She clapped with her hands but not her heart. Were they really a step ahead of the Society of the Evening Star? Or had she just heard the leader of the Society preaching in disguise?**

**Gavin leaned toward her. "Pretty good speech. Nice and short."**

**She nodded.**

**The applause died and the Knights began strolling away from the tables. Gavin and Estelle wandered off, and Kendra found herself surrounded by masked strangers. She moved toward a nearby curtained wall and found glass doors that opened to the outside. Kendra tried the handle, found it unlocked, and slipped out into the night.**

**Overhead, beyond a mesh roof, stars brightened a moonless sky, countless pinpricks of light. Kendra found herself in a small, screened room with a screen door on the far side.**

**Passing through the door, Kendra entered an enormous screened cage. Lush foliage, including numerous trees and ferns, thrived all around. A man-made stream wound among the vegetation, bridged by meandering paths. A rich perfume of blossoms saturated the air.**

**Throughout the caged wilderness, glowing softly among the branches and fronds, glided an exotic variety of fairies. Several congregated above a place where the stream pooled, gazing down at their luminous reflections. Most of the fairies had extravagant wings and unusual coloring. Long, gauzy tails shimmered in the darkness. A fuzzy gray fairy with moth-like wings and tufts of pink fur perched on a nearby branch. A white, sparkling fairy drifted into a bulbous blossom, turning the flower into a delicate lantern.**

"Bet the moth fairy's jealous of other ones." Seth said.

"Why's that?"

"Cause it's a flippin' moth"

**A pair of fairies sped over to Kendra and floated in front of her. One was large and feathery, with elaborate plumage fanning out around her head. The other had very dark skin and fanciful butterfly wings with tiger stripes. At first Kendra thought they were paying her unusual attention, before she recognized that they were enjoying their reflections in her mask.**

**Kendra remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks were fairy collectors. Of course, the fairies could not be kept indoors-if a captured fairy remained inside overnight, she changed into an imp. Apparently the vast cage did not qualify as indoors.**

**"The curve of the mask makes your head look fat," the feathery fairy giggled to the other.**

"Dairies are just so lovely." Seth said.

"**From my perspective, your rump looks rather blimpish," the striped fairy snickered.**

**"Now, girls," Kendra said, "be kind."**

**The fairies appeared dumbstruck. "Did you hear that?" the feathery fairy said. "She spoke in perfect Silvian!"**

**Kendra had spoken English, but something about her being fairykind caused many magical creatures to hear her words in their native tongues. She had conversed that way with fairies, imps, goblins, naiads, and brownies.**

**"Take off your mask," the striped fairy ordered.**

**"I'm not supposed to," Kendra said.**

**"Nonsense," the feathery fairy insisted, "show us your face."**

**"No humans are around," the striped fairy added.**

**Kendra raised her mask, giving them a peek before covering her features again.**

**"You're her," the feathery fairy gasped.**

**"It's true, then," the striped fairy squealed. "The Queen has selected a human handmaiden."**

**"What do you mean?" Kendra wondered.**

**"Don't play coy," the feathery fairy chided.**

**"I'm not," Kendra said. "Nobody ever said anything about being a handmaiden."**

**"Take off your mask again," the striped fairy said. Kendra lifted the mask. The striped fairy extended a hand. "May I?" she asked.**

**Kendra nodded.**

**The fairy laid a tiny palm against her cheek. Gradually, the fairy grew brighter, until she was beaming orange stripes onto the surrounding foliage. Kendra squinted her eyes against the fiery brilliance.**

**The striped fairy removed her hand and drifted away, the intensity of her radiance fading only slightly. Other fairies flocked to them, hovering curiously.**

**"You're dazzling," Kendra said, holding up a hand to shield her eyes.**

**"Me?" the striped fairy laughed. "None of the others are looking at me. I'm barely the moon reflecting the light of the sun."**

"I've been told that one to many times." Kendra said

"**I'm not glowing," Kendra said, noticing that the twenty fairies surrounding them were indeed all staring at her.**

**"Not on the same spectrum as I am," the striped fairy said. "But you shine much, much brighter. If you were radiating on my spectrum, we would all be blinded."**

**"Are you all right, Yolie?" the feathery fairy asked.**

**"I may have overdone it, Larina," the striped fairy answered. "Care to share the spark?"**

**The feathery fairy streaked over to the striped fairy. Yolie kissed the feathery fairy on the forehead. Larina flared brighter as the striped fairy dimmed. When they parted, their luminance was about equal.**

**Larina examined the intensified vibrance of her multihued feathers. A bright aura shone around her like a rainbow. "Magnificent!" she cried.**

**"This is more manageable," Yolie said, still gleaming.**

**"Is she truly a mortal handmaiden?" asked the sparkling white fairy who had illuminated the blossom.**

**"Can there be any doubt?" Larina exclaimed.**

**"You got brighter because you touched me?" Kendra asked.**

**"You are a reservoir of magical energy like I have never encountered," Yolie said. "Surely you can feel it?"**

**"I can't," Kendra said. Yet she knew she had magical energy inside of her. How else could she recharge depleted magical relics? Kendra glanced over her shoulder at the screen door behind her and the curtained glass doors of the ballroom. What if somebody came out while her mask was off and she was speaking to fairies? Kendra replaced her mask. "Please don't tell any of the other people about me. I have to keep my identity a secret."**

"As if they'd speak English."

"I think they meant other fairies."

"**We won't tell," Larina pledged.**

**"We had better diffuse our energy," Yolie suggested. "We're too bright. The difference is too plain."**

**"In the plants?" Larina proposed.**

**Yolie tittered. "The garden would flourish too quickly. The surplus energy would be unmistakable. We should spread it among ourselves, then share just a little with the plants."**

**The surrounding fairies cheered, then closed in on the two brightest. Kisses were exchanged until all the fairies shone only mildly brighter than they had originally. "Have you any words for us?" Larina asked.**

**"Thank you for keeping my secret," Kendra said.**

**"You could make it an order in the name of the Queen," Yolie prompted.**

**"An order?"**

**"Sure, if you want the secret kept."**

**Several of the other fairies glared at Yolie. A few quivered with rage.**

**"Okay," Kendra said uncertainly. "I order you in the name of the Queen to keep my identity a secret."**

**"Is there anything else we can do for you?" Larina asked. "Life here is so frightfully tedious."**

**"I can always use information," Kendra said. "What do you know about the Captain of the Knights of the Dawn?"**

**"Knights of the Dawn?" Larina asked. "Who pays them any mind?"**

**"I'm a Knight," Kendra said.**

**"Forgive us," Yolie said. "We consider most mortal affairs somewhat... trivial."**

"Oh you know those mortals." Seth said.

**"I promise the question is not trivial," Kendra said.**

**"We haven't paid enough attention to the Knights to know what you're asking," Larina apologized. "All we know about the Knights is that Wesley Fairbanks would trade all his wealth to be one."**

**"Are Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks good people?" Kendra asked.**

**"As far as we can tell," Yolie said. "They treat us kindly and give us every possible consideration. Some of us have even condescended to speak with Marion in English on occasion."**

**"Do they know any secrets?" Kendra asked.**

**The fairies all looked at one another, as if hoping one of them might be aware of something. "I'm afraid not," Yolie finally said. "The couple knows little about our kind. We are simply wondrous novelties to them. Maybe we can put the word out to seek the identity of the Captain of the Knights of the Dawn."**

**"I'd appreciate it," Kendra said. "You don't happen to know anything about secret fairy preserves, do you?"**

"Right cause that's a thing."

**Kendra heard a door open behind her. Jumping and turning, she saw a figure in a cloak and a silver mask hurry to the screen door. Behind her mask, she licked her lips. Who could it be?**

**"Kendra?" asked Warren. "They want to issue your assignment."**

**"Okay," she said, whirling to face the fairies. "Secret preserves?"**

**"Sorry," Larina said. "We don't really know about secret preserves. Most of us are from the wild."**

**"Thanks for being so helpful," Kendra said.**

**"Our pleasure," Yolie chirped. "Come visit again."**

**Warren held the screen open and Kendra exited. "Be glad you weren't spotted surrounded by chatty fairies," he said.**

**"It just sort of happened," Kendra apologized.**

**"Tanu and I saw you go out. We got into a conversation blocking the door. I kept an eye on you through the curtains. Learn anything?"**

**"Not much. Except that these fairies apparently didn't get the memo to give me the cold shoulder." Part of her wanted to say more, but only Grandpa, Grandma, Seth, and the Sphinx knew that Kendra was fairykind. Disclosing what the fairies had said about her being the Queen's handmaiden might give too much away. Most of her friends at Fablehaven thought that her abilities were a consequence of being fairystruck, which was somewhat less unheard of than her actual condition.**

**Nobody had become fairykind in more than a thousand years, so nobody could fill Kendra in on all the specifics. Although she knew it meant that the fairies had shared their magic with her in a way that caused it to dwell inside of her as it did in them, she had never heard herself referred to as the Queen's handmaiden, and was unsure what the expression meant.**

"The fairies are just so helpful." Kendra said.

**She knew being fairykind enabled her to see in the dark, understand languages related to Silvian, resist certain forms of mind control, recharge magical objects, and apparently transfer some of her energy to fairies. The Sphinx had implied that she probably had other abilities waiting to be discovered. Because her abilities could make her a target of people wishing to exploit her talents, Grandpa insisted on keeping her fairykind status a secret even from trusted friends.**

**Warren opened the door into the ballroom, where a tall, broad figure awaited. "Is everything all right?" Tanu asked. Warren nodded. He led Kendra across the crowded room and back into the grand hallway.**

**"Who's meeting with us?" Kendra asked.**

**"Your Lieutenant," Warren said. "The quick appointment must mean the mission is important. All of the Knights are eager to speak with the Captain and their Lieutenants."**

**"What do you make of everything the Captain shared in his speech?" Kendra asked.**

**"We'll discuss that when we have more privacy."**

**They returned to the same room where they had met the Captain earlier. A person in a gold-trimmed mask stood by the fireplace. Once Warren and Kendra closed the door, Dougan removed his mask, prompting Kendra and Warren to do the same.**

**"How did you like your first meeting as a Knight?" Dougan asked Kendra.**

**"It made me nervous," she admitted.**

**"Good, that was part of the aim," he said.**

"Oh that's comforting." Seth said.

"**We need to keep on our toes now more than ever. Are you ready for your assignment?"**

**"Sure," Kendra said.**

**Dougan gestured toward a sofa. Warren and Kendra sat down together. Dougan remained standing, hands clasped behind his back. "Warren, have you ever heard of Lost Mesa?"**

**Warren's eyebrows knitted together. "Can't say I have."**

**"Clearly you know about some of the secret preserves, like Fablehaven," he said. "Lost Mesa is another of the secret preserves."**

**"The refuge in Arizona," Warren deduced. "I know of it, though I hadn't heard the name. I've never been there."**

"And you don't want to." Kendra said.

"**Lost Mesa is on Navajo land. What do you know about the objects hidden on the secret preserves?"**

**"There are five secret preserves, each with a hidden artifact," Kendra said. "Together, the artifacts can open Zzyzx, the main demon prison."**

**"The Captain told me you would know," Dougan said. "Protecting these artifacts from exploitation is the top priority of the Knights of the Dawn. We have strong reason to suspect that the Society has learned the location of Lost Mesa. We sent in a small team to recover the artifact there, in order to transfer it to a safer repository. The team has encountered some trouble, so I am personally going there to complete the operation. I need Kendra to come with me, so that she can recharge the artifact before we extract it. We understand she has that ability."**

**Warren held up his hand. "A few questions. First off, what sort of trouble did the current team encounter?"**

**"They found the caverns where the artifact lies hidden," Dougan said. "The traps guarding the prize proved too much for the three of them. One of the team members perished, and a second was badly injured."**

"Sounds like an ideal situation for involving a fourteen-year-old girl,"

"Well maybe this fourteen year old girl." Warren said.

**Warren said. "Why exactly do you need to charge the artifact?" "The Captain thinks that if the artifact is operational, we can use its power to better conceal it."**

**"Does he know which artifact it is?"**

**"He or she does not," Dougan answered.**

**"Won't activating the artifacts make them that much more dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands?"**

**Dougan folded his arms. "Do you really think the Society won't find a way to charge them if they ever lay hands on them? If anything, charging the artifacts now will make Kendra safer. The Society won't be after her to jumpstart their prison keys."**

**Warren got up from his seat and wiped his hands down his face. "Dougan, level with me, is the Captain the Sphinx?" He stared at the Lieutenant intently.**

**"That's one of many popular theories," Dougan smiled. "No theory I've heard has it right."**

**"That is exactly what I would say if I were trying to conceal the truth, especially if one of the theories were accurate."**

**"It's also what you'd say if the theories were all false," Dougan said. "Warren, I have to warn you, this line of questioning is unacceptable."**

**Warren shook his head. "I can't elaborate why, but the question is important. I don't care who the Captain is, as long as he isn't the Sphinx. Just swear that to me."**

**"I'm not swearing one way or the other. Don't push me, Warren. I'll already have to converse with the Captain about your sudden interest in his or her identity. Don't make it worse. I took an oath. For all of our sakes, I can't expose anything about the leader of the Knights."**

"Bro you need to back down."

"**Then Kendra isn't going to Lost Mesa," Warren said. "If necessary, she'll resign her knighthood." Warren turned to face her. "Would you mind having the shortest career in the history of the Knights of the Dawn?"**

**"I'll do whatever you think is best," Kendra said.**

**"I don't appreciate being strong-armed," Dougan growled.**

**"I don't like being kept in the dark," Warren countered. "Dougan, you know me. I don't ask for intelligence just to satisfy my curiosity. I've got a reason."**

**Dougan rubbed his forehead. "Look, will the two of you swear to keep the following information private? Not a word to anyone!"**

**"I promise," Warren said.**

**Kendra nodded.**

**"The Captain is not the Sphinx," Dougan said. "We like that rumor, because it distracts people from the truth, so don't spoil it. Now you tell me, what would it matter if the Captain were the Sphinx?"**

"Oh just the whole like triple agent thing."

"**What do you know about the events at Fablehaven earlier this summer?" Warren asked.**

**"Were there events out of the ordinary?" Dougan asked.**

**"Then I can't tell you," Warren said. "None of this is a huge deal, just me being overly cautious. Which I tend to be when the fate of the world is on the line. If the Captain sees fit to fill you in on what happened, maybe we can talk more." "I hear you. I told you what you wanted. Are you ready to step aside and allow Kendra to come to Lost Mesa with me?"**

**"Who else is going?"**

**"Just me, Kendra, and Gavin."**

**"The new kid?"**

**"Gavin was recruited because we need his help negotiating the caverns,"**

"Ya right."

**Dougan explained. "Will you step aside?"**

**"No. But if you promise to keep Kendra far from the caverns, and if you let me join you, and if she agrees, I'll think about it. I may even come in handy. I'm not too shabby at bypassing traps myself."**

**"I'll have to check with the Captain," Dougan said.**

**"Understandable," Warren allowed. "I'll need to speak with Kendra privately to gauge her willingness."**

**"Very well," Dougan said, replacing his mask and striding to the door. "Sit tight. I'll be back soon." He exited.**

**Warren crouched next to Kendra. "What do you think?" he whispered.**

**"Could the room be bugged?"**

**"Doubtful. But not impossible."**

**"I don't know," Kendra said. "I keep worrying that Vanessa may have us jumping at shadows. If the Sphinx were a friend, and if you came along, I would totally go, no hesitation."**

"What about super dangerous creatures and that stuff?" Seth asked.

"**There are safe-spots." Warren said.**

**"Here's my take," Warren whispered. "If the Sphinx is a friend, sure, I'll be glad to help, but if he's an enemy, it will be even more important for me to get onto that preserve. I find the fact that they are after another artifact incredibly suspicious, especially since they seem intent on charging it. I'm still not convinced that the Captain is not the Sphinx.**

**Dougan is a good guy, but he would lie to protect a secret of such magnitude. Even if the Captain isn't the Sphinx, he could just as easily be a puppet. At the very least, the Sphinx frequently trades secrets with the Knights."**

**"The Sphinx might be on our side," Kendra reminded him.**

**"He might," Warren said. "But if he were on our side, I don't picture the Sphinx wanting anyone, himself included, to know the location of so many artifacts. On top of Vanessa's accusations, the idea of seeking multiple artifacts in such a short period of time smells fishy. After all, they were hidden separately for a reason." He leaned closer, his lips almost touching her ear, and spoke in the quietest whisper Kendra could imagine. "I need to get onto the preserve, not to help them recover the artifact, but to recover it myself. It will surely mark the end of my association with the Knights of the Dawn, but no one person should know the location of so many artifacts, especially when there is an implication that he may be our enemy."**

"In other words that's what it means to be a backstabbing traitor." Warren said

"So we should go," Kendra concluded.

"**This makes things very complicated for you," Warren continued in his faint whisper. "It would be risky to simply go to Lost Mesa and help them extract the artifact, let alone to try to steal it from them! You can play innocent. I won't involve you directly. I'll make it look like I was using this role as your protector for my own ends. There's a chance Dougan may try to hold you responsible. I can't guarantee your safety, but we'll make sure Tanu, Coulter, and Stan all know where you are, so they can ensure that you end up back home."**

**Kendra closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. The thought of trying to pull this off made her stomach twist. But if the Society ended up opening Zzyzx, it would mean the end of the world as she knew it. Preventing that was worth taking a gut-wrenching risk, right?**

"I'd say so." Bracken said.

"Ya don't doubt that." Seth said

"**Okay," Kendra said. "If you can come, let's do it."**

**"I hate to put you in this position," Warren whispered. "Stan would wring my neck. But even though I hate the risk, and even though we might be wrong, I think we have to try."**

**Kendra nodded.**

**They sat in silence, listening to the logs snap and pop in the fireplace. Although the wait stretched much longer than Kendra had anticipated, she experienced no boredom. Her mind continued reexamining the situation, trying to foresee how everything would play out. It was impossible to predict, but she found herself holding firm to the resolution that she and Warren had to go to Lost Mesa and see what they could learn. And perhaps what they could steal.**

**Nearly an hour later, Dougan returned, removing his mask as he came through the door. "Sorry about the wait," he said. "The Captain is swamped right now. The Captain mentioned that there were circumstances I could not know involving trouble at Fablehaven that would have justifiably made you extra cautious. Warren, if Kendra is willing to embark for Lost Mesa in the morning, you will be welcome to join her."**

**Warren and Dougan looked to Kendra. "Fine with me," she said, feeling a little sorry for Tanu and Coulter. No matter how this was explained to Grandpa and Grandma, they were going to be furious!**

"That's right." Ruth said.

"Do you know how hard it was to make your parents let you stay?" Stan asked.


	6. Plague

"This chapter is finished." Stan said.

"I can read." Tanu said.

**Chapter Six**

**Plague**

**Seth threw the baseball as high and hard as he could, deliberately making it a tough catch for Mendigo. The primitive wooden puppet sprang into action the instant the ball took flight, dashing across the lawn. The human-sized limberjack wore a baseball glove on one hand and a cap on his head. The golden hooks that served as joints jingled as he dove over a hedge, stretching out to trap the ball in his mitt.**

**The nimble puppet landed in a somersault, then whipped the ball back at Seth as soon as he rolled to his feet. The ball hissed through the air, streaking straight instead of arcing high, and slapped into Seth's glove, stinging his hand. "Don't chuck it so hard," Seth instructed.**

"Don't you have to say Mendigo before it?" Scott asked.

"**My hands have nerves!"**

"Oh well in that case..." Warren said.

**The limberjack stood in a crouch, ready to make the next impossible grab. After playing catch with Mendigo in the yard and having a few rounds of batting practice, Seth was convinced Mendigo could land a multimillion-dollar contract in the major leagues. Mendigo never dropped the ball and never threw wild. When pitching to Seth, the puppet would put the ball wherever Seth asked, at whatever speed he wanted. Batting, Mendigo could smack line drives in any direction he was told, or he could just as easily smash home runs with his quick, fluid swing. Of course, eligibility might be an issue. Seth wasn't sure about Major League Baseball's policy regarding giant magical puppets.**

"You'll have to look that one up." Vanessa said.

"**Showboat," Seth called, throwing the baseball high.**

**Mendigo was already running before the ball left Seth's hand. As the puppet closed in on the baseball, he shifted the glove from his hand to his foot and performed a smooth cartwheel, catching the ball with his gloved foot while upside down. The limberjack tossed the ball back to Seth, still with some zip, but not as hard as his previous throw.**

**Seth winged the ball sidearm in a new direction. Playing with Mendigo was a fun distraction, even though he knew the puppet was really his baby-sitter. Things had been tense since Coulter and Tanu had returned with news that Warren and Kendra had embarked on a mission for the Knights of the Dawn. Even without knowing all of the details, Seth felt sick with envy.**

"It is now fun." Kendra said.

"Ya right." Seth said.

"You've been through some vaults!"

"Ya, and there cool."

**Grandpa and Grandma had taken the news hard, becoming even more protective of Seth than usual. Technically, his three-day period prohibiting even chaperoned excursions was over, but they had forbidden him from accompanying Coulter and Tanu on their assignment this afternoon.**

**Grandpa had been monitoring the nipsies while the others were gone, and had found that the warlike nipsies were relentless in their thirst to conquer the others. Nothing he tried could dissuade them. In the end he decided that the only way to save the untainted nipsies was to relocate them. Coulter and Tanu were currently searching for a new habitat for the good nipsies. A routine assignment, but Grandpa had suspended Seth from the woods until they figured out the story behind the new subspecies of dark creatures.**

**Mendigo returned the ball to Seth, who threw it to the right, lower than his previous toss. Mendigo started after it and then halted, letting the ball drop to the grass and roll into a flower bed. Seth put his hands on his hips. Unlike Hugo, Mendigo had no will-he only followed orders. And the current order was to play catch.**

**Continuing to ignore the ball, Mendigo rushed toward Seth at full speed. The action was baffling. Once, Mendigo had served Muriel the witch, but some fairies had helped Kendra break that connection earlier in the summer. Mendigo only took orders from the staff of Fablehaven now. He had proven so useful that Grandpa had arranged for Mendigo to be allowed past the barriers protecting the yard and house.**

**So why was Mendigo charging him? "Mendigo, stop!"**

**Seth cried, but the puppet paid him no heed. Grandpa had issued Mendigo a standing order not to allow Seth out of the yard. Was the limberjack confused? Seth was nowhere near the edge of the lawn.**

"Ya that's not it." Seth said.

**When Mendigo reached Seth, he dipped a shoulder, wrapped both arms around his legs, hoisted him into the air, and sprinted for the house. Slung over the wooden shoulder, Seth looked up and saw a group of dark fairies streaking toward them. They were unlike any fairies Seth had ever seen. Their wings did not glisten in the sunlight.**

**Their raiment did not sparkle. In spite of the clear sky and the hot sun, each of the dozen fairies was shrouded in shadow. Faintly, a thin, dark contrail followed each one. Instead of light, these fairies radiated darkness.**

**The fairies gained swiftly, but the house was not far away. Mendigo swerved to avoid inky streaks of shadow hurled from the fairies. Wherever the black energy struck, vegetation instantly withered.**

"Strange." Bracken said.

**Grass turned white and sere, blossoms wilted and faded, leaves crumpled and dried. A dark streak zapped Mendigo on the back, and a black circle appeared on the brown wood.**

**Bypassing the stairs, Mendigo clambered over the railing of the deck and clattered to the back door. The puppet dropped Seth, who thrust the door open and ordered the limberjack inside. Yanking the door shut, Seth hollered for Grandpa.**

**Seth now understood Mendigo's behavior. The puppet had one permanent command above all others-to protect the people of Fablehaven. The limberjack had sensed the fairies coming, and had known they meant trouble. Seth had a queasy feeling that if not for Mendigo, he might be a brown, shriveled corpse out on the lawn, the human version of a spoiled banana.**

**"What is it, Seth?" Grandpa asked, emerging from the study.**

**"I was just attacked in the yard by evil fairies," Seth gasped.**

**Grandpa glowered at him. "Have you been trapping fairies again?"**

"As if I'd go through that again." Seth said.

**"No, I promise, I didn't do anything to provoke them," Seth insisted. "These fairies are different. They're wild and dark. Look out the window."**

**Seth and his Grandpa went to a window. The dismal flock of fairies were working their magic on a row of rosebushes, turning green leaves brown and vivid petals black. "I've never seen such a thing," Grandpa breathed, reaching for the door.**

**"Don't!" Seth warned. "They'll come after you."**

**"I have to see," Grandpa said, pushing the door open.**

**At once the fairies darted toward the deck, firing shadowy streaks. Grandpa promptly retreated indoors. The fairies hovered just beyond the deck. Several were laughing. A couple made faces. They desiccated a few potted plants on the deck before flitting away.**

**"I've never heard of anything like these creatures," Grandpa said. "How did they get in the yard?"**

**"They flew in as if they belonged," Seth replied, "just like any fairy would."**

**"Fairies are creatures of light." Grandpa spoke weakly, uncertainly, as if hesitant to believe what was happening. "Some of the nipsies turned dark," Seth reminded him.**

**Frowning, Grandpa rubbed his chin. "These fairies aren't in a fallen state. When a fairy falls she becomes an imp, and would be banned from the yard. These fairies are in a darkened state-an undefined alteration that leaves them with full access to the gardens. I've never heard of anything like it. Perhaps I ought to place a temporary ban on all fairies, until we get this sorted out. I'm not sure I can exclude only the dark ones."**

**"Is Grandma still shopping?" Seth asked.**

**"Yes," Grandpa said. "She won't be back for at least an hour. Dale is down at the stable. Tanu and Coulter are still out scouting for a place to relocate the good nipsies."**

**"What should we do?" Seth inquired.**

**"I'll telephone Ruth," Grandpa said. "Warn her to be careful when entering the yard. I'll send Mendigo to fetch Dale."**

"Things are getting real."

"**Can we get in touch with Tanu and Coulter?" Seth asked.**

**"No, but they have Hugo with them," Grandpa said. "We'll have to trust that they can take care of themselves." He turned to address the big puppet. "Mendigo, at full speed, go retrieve Dale from the stables, keeping him safe from harm. Steer clear of any dark creatures like those fairies."**

**Grandpa opened the door, and Mendigo raced out onto the deck, vaulted the railing, and sped across the lawn. "What should I do?" Seth asked.**

**"Keep watch from the windows," Grandpa said. "Don't go outside. Let me know if you see anything unusual. After I call your grandmother, I'm going to make a more concerted effort to get the Sphinx on the line."**

"You guys are using him as a crutch." Vanessa said.

"What would you do in this situation?" Seth asked.

"Oh I'd still call for help but I mean maybe stop trying use help from the Sphinx. Your gonna know he's a traitor soon and then you'll be out of luck and you'll be handy capped."

"Ok fine I get it."

**Grandpa hurried away, and Seth went from room to room, checking through all of the windows, trying to spot the dark fairies. After three laps, he gave up. Apparently they had flown away.**

**To test his assumption he opened the door and ventured out onto the deck. Hadn't Grandpa done the same thing a moment ago, but with the fairies in sight? Seth was ready to retreat, but no gloomy fairies attacked. Had Grandpa already banished them from the yard? Seth sat down in a chair, gazing out at the garden.**

**He realized this was the first time he had been outside unsupervised since getting busted for visiting the nipsies. He felt an instant itch to bolt into the woods.**

"Of course, I mean what else is the safest option right now?"

**Where would he go? Maybe to the tennis court to check in on how Doren and Newel were doing. Or to the pond to chuck rocks at the naiads.**

"So you did that!" Kendra said. "Man they were so mad."

No. After the scare with the fairies, he had to grant reluctantly that Grandpa was probably right about this being a foolish time to roam the woods. Besides, if he got caught, he would probably lose Grandpa's trust forever and end up grounded for all eternity.

"Ya that's about right." Stan said.

**He noticed a few normal fairies fluttering around the yard. They approached the dead roses and began healing them with glittering flashes. Wilted petals blushed. Curled leaves unfurled. Brittle limbs became supple and green.**

**The fairies were evidently not banned yet-the others must have voluntarily deserted the yard. Seth watched the fairies continue restoring the damaged vegetation. He did not try to move in for a closer look. Even the pretty fairies had no fondness for him. They were still resentful that he had accidentally turned one of them into an imp the previous summer. They had punished him, the fairy had been restored, and he had apologized a lot, but the fairies still mostly spurned him.**

**As his excitement over the dark fairies wore off in their absence, Seth ached with boredom. If Grandpa would trust him with keys to the dungeon, he could probably find a way to pass the time down there.**

"You need to do some soul searching?" Kendra asked.

**He wished Mendigo would return. He wished he could switch places with Kendra, off on an adventure so secretive nobody had trusted him with the details. He even almost wished he was shopping with Grandma!**

**What could he do? There were toys in the attic bedroom, lots of them, but he had played with them so much over the summer that they failed to entice him anymore. Maybe he could rip up some of his clothes and leave them for the brownies to mend. It was always interesting to see the improvements they made.**

**Seth stood up, ready to go inside, when a vaporous personage emerged from the woods. The misty, translucent figure glided toward the deck. Seth realized to his horror that the ghostly apparition looked like Tanu, except wispy and insubstantial.**

"That's better than being a shadow person." Tanu said.

**Had Tanu been killed? Was this his spirit come to haunt them?**

"Ya cause I would haunt Seth." Tanu said.

**Seth watched as the gaseous form drew nearer. Its face looked grave. "Are you a ghost?" Seth called.**

**The vaporous Tanu shook his head, and motioned as if drinking something from a bottle.**

**"A potion?" Seth asked. "That's right, you have a potion that turns you into gas, like the one Kendra said Warren used when you were battling the giant panther!"**

**Tanu nodded, drifting nearer. A light breeze arose, forcing him off course and temporarily dissipating his misty body. When the breeze died, Tanu re-formed and continued until he reached the deck. Unable to resist, Seth passed a hand through the insubstantial Samoan. The gas felt more like powder than mist. None of it stuck to his hand.**

**Tanu gestured for Seth to open the back door. Seth complied and followed Tanu into the house. "Grandpa, Tanu came back! He's made of gas!"**

"This day just keeps getting better and better." Stan mumbled.

**Indoors, Tanu held together better, which made him look more solid. Seth swatted a hand through Tanu's stomach, making the vapor shift and swirl.**

"Seth That doesn't feel to great." Tanu said.

"**What is it, Tanu?" Grandpa asked, hustling into the room, cell phone in hand. "Was there trouble?"**

**The Samoan nodded.**

**"Where's Coulter? Is he all right?"**

**Tanu shook his head.**

**"Dead?" Grandpa asked.**

**Tanu shook his head slightly and shrugged.**

**"Does he need our help?"**

**Tanu tilted a hand from side to side.**

**"He doesn't need our help immediately."**

**Tanu nodded.**

**"Are we in immediate danger?"**

**Tanu shook his head.**

**"How long before you're back to normal?"**

**Tanu scrunched his brow, then held up one hand, the fingers spread wide.**

**"Five minutes?" Grandpa verified.**

"I think you've reached twenty questions by now." Warren said he loved playing that game when he was little.

**Tanu nodded.**

**The back door opened, and Dale entered with Mendigo.**

**"What's going on?" Dale asked, taking in Tanu's altered state. "Mendigo showed up at the stables and abducted me."**

**"We have a problem," Grandpa said. "Dark fairies attacked Seth in the yard."**

**Eyes wide, Tanu gestured vigorously.**

**"Dark fairies attacked you too?" Seth asked.**

**Tanu stabbed a finger at Seth, nodding emphatically.**

**"Have you noticed anything unusual with any of the creatures today?" Grandpa asked Dale.**

**"Nothing like dark fairies," he replied.**

**"I called Ruth. She'll be careful coming into the house. I still can't reach the Sphinx."**

**"When will he solidify?" Dale asked, his eyes flicking over to Tanu.**

**"In a few minutes," Grandpa said.**

**"Mind if I grab some water?" Dale asked.**

**"Might do us all some good," Grandpa said.**

**They went to the kitchen, where Dale poured each of them a tall glass of cool water from the fridge. While Seth sipped at his drink, Tanu coalesced into his old self. A brief fizzing sound accompanied the rapid transformation.**

**"Sorry about that," Tanu said. "I'm not sure I would have escaped without the aid of a potion."**

**"What happened?" Grandpa asked calmly.**

**Tanu took a sip of water. "As planned, we were scouting for a new home for the gentle nipsies. We were investigating that crescent-shaped meadow near where the Forgotten Chapel used to stand. You know the one?"**

**"Oh do I know it." Seth mumbled.**

**"Sure," Dale said.**

**Grandpa nodded.**

**"I would, if I was ever allowed to explore," Seth grumbled.**

**"We came across a swarm of squabbling fairies, weaving around like dogfighters, some light, some dark. From what we saw, when the dark ones got their mouths on the light ones, the light fairies were extinguished-they became dark. But the light fairies didn't appear to be converting any dark ones."**

**"How many fairies?" Grandpa asked.**

**"Must have been nearly thirty," Tanu answered. "The brawl looked about even at first, but before long, the dark outnumbered the light three to one. Coulter and I decided we ought to break it up before all the fairies were changed. He has that crystal that makes people dizzy, and thought he might be able to disrupt the battle enough to give the light fairies a chance to escape.**

**"The instant we stepped into the clearing, the dark fairies left off tangling with the light ones and swarmed us. There was almost no time to think. Coulter urged me to go gaseous. Hugo put himself between us and the onslaught, and they hit him hard with murky magic that withered the grass on his body and left him spotted with black marks. Holding his crystal high, Coulter ordered Hugo to retreat to the barn, which was the right call. There was little Hugo could do against so many tiny enemies. The golem obeyed, and the fairies swooped at Coulter. The crystal disrupted their flight. Most crashed to the ground. A few managed to land on Coulter. They started biting him, and then he vanished."**

"Would not recommended." Tanu said

"**Did he put on his invisibility glove?" Seth asked hopefully.**

**"No glove," Tanu said. "He just disappeared. I drank the potion as the fairies came at me, and dissolved into a gaseous state just in time. They were mad, darting through me, shooting bursts of blackness at me, but when they saw that it was in vain, they flew away."**

**"They couldn't have killed Coulter," Dale said. "Dark or, not, the treaty would still bind them. You were on neutral ground. They couldn't kill Coulter unless he had killed somebody at Fablehaven."**

"I mean it's possible..." Seth trailed off. Kendra gave him a look and he said. "Hehe just kidding."

"**For that very reason, I don't think he's dead," Tanu said. "But they placed some sort of curse on him that either made him invisible or teleported him away. I stayed and scoured the area, but found no evidence that he was invisible. No depressions in the grass where he might have been lying or standing. I would have heard him if he made a sound, but I detected nothing. That's all I know. I came straight here."**

**"You're sure Coulter didn't change into a darkened state himself?"**

"The million dollar question!" Warren said.

**Grandpa asked. "He simply vanished?" "That's what I saw," Tanu said. "Maybe he turned into grass, or into a mosquito, or into oxygen. Maybe he shrank. I suppose there's a chance that somehow the rules don't apply to these dark creatures, and Coulter no longer exists in any form."**

**Grandpa sighed, bowing his head. When he raised it, he looked wretched. "I worry that I'm unfit to continue as caretaker.**

"Oh no we can't have self doubt issues now." Kendra said.

**Have I grown too old? Have I lost my touch? Perhaps I should resign and ask the Conservators' Alliance to appoint a new overseer in my stead. It seems we've had one catastrophe after another lately, with the people I love most paying the price for my incompetence."**

"And you tell us not to blame ourselves." Seth said.

"**This isn't your fault," Tanu said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you and Coulter are old friends."**

**"I'm not asking for sympathy," Grandpa said. "I'm simply trying to be objective. I've been captured twice in the past year. The preserve was taken to the brink of collapse each time. I may have become more of a hindrance than a help to Fablehaven and those who live here."**

**"A fellow can't always avoid tough circumstances," Dale said. "But you can weather the trouble and come out on top. You've done it before, and I expect you'll do it again."**

**"Maybe we should bust out the motivational speakers," Warren said. "You know get some pep talks up on here."**

**Grandpa shook his head. "I haven't solved anything lately. If not for my grandchildren risking their lives, along with help from the rest of you and a healthy dose of good fortune, Fablehaven would be in ruins."**

**Seth had never seen Grandpa Sorenson look so defeated. How could he revive him? He spoke up quickly. "The first time, I caused all the trouble. The second time, Vanessa betrayed us. You never did anything wrong."**

**"And this time?" Grandpa asked, his voice calm and sad. "Not only did I inadvertently let your sister end up on a dangerous mission thousands of miles away, I also sent my oldest friend to his grave. How did I miss the warning signs?"**

"Ok first of all none of that was your fault and second you didn't even know if Coulter was dead." Vanessa said.

"**The only thing that could make you unfit to lead would be belief in such nonsense," Tanu said gently. "Nobody could have seen this coming. You think Coulter or I would have approached the fairies so haphazardly had we sensed the danger? These are turbulent times. Fablehaven has been under deliberate assault from formidable foes. You've come through it so far, and so have we. I've traveled far and wide, and I can't think of anybody I would rather have watching over this preserve than you, Stan."**

**"I'll second that," Dale said. "Don't forget who'd most likely end up assigning the new caretaker if you resigned without appointing a successor."**

**"The Sphinx?" guessed Seth.**

**"His is the most trusted voice among the conservators," Grandpa admitted.**

"That'd be bad." Vanessa said.

**"Coulter is probably alive somewhere," Tanu said. "Pull yourself together, Stan. We need a plan."**

**"Thanks, Tanu, Dale, Seth." Grandpa pursed his lips, his eyes hardening. "We need information. The Sphinx is proving to be unreachable. Given the extremity of our circumstances, I think it's time to investigate what else Vanessa knows." Slaggo and Voorsh led a skinny, birdlike humanoid down the dank dungeon corridor. The manacled prisoner had a head like a seagull and was covered with gray, molting feathers. Slaggo held a torch, and Grandpa walked alongside, shining a flashlight on the threesome. When the flashlight beam strayed too high, reflecting off the birdman's beady black eyes, he threw his head back and let out a fierce squawk. Voorsh yanked on a chain fastened to an iron collar, making the grungy birdman stumble sideways. Grandpa switched off the flashlight.**

**"Ready?" Grandpa asked, eyeing Tanu, Dale, and Grandma. Tanu held handcuffs, Dale clutched a truncheon, and Grandma gripped a crossbow. They each gave a single nod.**

**Grandpa opened the front of the Quiet Box, revealing an empty space where a person could stand. The goblin wardens guided the birdman into the compartment. Grandpa closed the door and the box rotated halfway around, exposing an identical door on the opposite side. Grandpa opened the door and revealed Vanessa standing inside, wearing one of Grandma's old housecoats, a faint smile on her lips, the torchlight accenting her elegant features. Her skin had less color than the last time Seth had seen her, but her dark eyes smoldered. He had to admit she remained strikingly beautiful.**

"It's not as bad as Kendra crushing on Warren!" Seth said.

"**How long has it been?" she asked, stepping out of the box and extending her hands so Tanu could cuff them. "Six weeks," Grandpa said, as Tanu secured the handcuffs.**

**"Where are my animals?"**

**"We released some," Grandpa said. "Others we gave away to those capable of caring for them."**

**Vanessa nodded as if satisfied. Her faint smile stretched into a smirk. "Let me guess. Kendra is no longer here, and some disaster is transpiring at Fablehaven."**

"So are you saying they need me?" Kendra asked.

"I mean you did save their butts all those times.." Vanessa said.

**Grandpa and Grandma exchanged a wary glance. "How did you know?" Grandma asked.**

**Vanessa stretched her cuffed hands high above her head and arched her back. She closed her eyes. "Certain precautions the Sphinx takes are predictable once you understand how he operates. It's the same way I anticipated that he was going to backstab me and lock me away in that miserable box."**

**"How did you predict this?" Grandpa asked.**

**Keeping her legs straight, Vanessa bent forward and touched the ground between her feet. "You released me from the box, and you all look serious, so obviously there has been trouble. Consider the circumstances. The Sphinx cannot afford to let his identity as the leader of the Society of the Evening Star be discovered. Even without the note I left, there were enough clues to what he was doing that you might have eventually become suspicious. He successfully acquired the artifact and freed the previous occupant of the Quiet Box. He had no more use for this preserve. Therefore, his next move would probably be to set some plan in motion to destroy Fablehaven and all of you with it-except Kendra, who he suspects may still be useful. I'm sure he created an excuse to get her away from here just in time. You're all in tremendous danger. You see, when the Sphinx commits a crime, he disposes of all the evidence. Then, to be safe, he burns down the neighborhood."**

"That, is amazing." Kendra said.

**Vanessa swung her handcuffed arms from side to side, twisting at her waist. "I can't tell you how nice it feels to stretch."**

**"Can you guess how he is trying to destroy Fablehaven?" Grandpa asked.**

**Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "Some of the Sphinx's strategies are predictable. His methods are not. But whatever he has set in motion will probably be impossible to stop. Fablehaven is doomed. I expect I would be safer if you just put me back in the Quiet Box."**

**"Don't worry, Vanessa," Grandma said. "We will."**

**"I take it you don't fully comprehend the current threat?" Vanessa asked Grandpa.**

**"It is like nothing we've ever seen."**

**"Tell me about it; maybe I can help. I've been working for the Society for some time now." Vanessa started jogging in place, lifting her knees high.**

**"Creatures at Fablehaven are turning dark," Grandpa said. "The change has been most evident in the nipsies and fairies so far-creatures of light who are transforming in appearance and attitude into creatures of darkness. I'm not talking about fairies falling and becoming imps. We've seen fairies draped in shadow using their magic to wither and ruin rather than to nourish and beautify." "And the condition is spreading?" Vanessa asked, legs pumping rapidly.**

**"Like a magical plague," Grandpa said. "Making matters worse, the dark fairies can cross all the same boundaries as the light fairies, including into the yard."**

**An expression of admiration appeared on her face. "Leave it to the Sphinx to invent new ways to eradicate preserves. I've never heard of an epidemic like you're describing. Let me guess. Even doubting the Sphinx, you've turned to him for help, but heard nothing."**

**Grandpa nodded.**

**"He is not replying because he expects you will soon be dead. You have two options. Abandon the preserve. Or try to figure out how to stop this plague the Sphinx has created, fail, and then abandon the preserve. My guess is you'll go with the second choice."**

**"Abandoning Fablehaven is not an option," Grandpa said. "Not until we do all we can to save it. Certainly not until we learn the secret behind this plague so we can prevent it from recurring elsewhere."**

"Ya That would not be great to have another plague."

**Vanessa stopped high-stepping, panting lightly.**

**"Whether or not you can salvage Fablehaven, trying to discover the nature of the plague makes sense. Any leads?"**

**"Not yet," Grandpa said. "Only today did we realize how virulently the condition is spreading."**

**"I could help if you let me," Vanessa offered. "Magical creatures are my specialty."**

**"Along with controlling victims in their sleep," Grandma reminded everyone. "You could post a guard," Vanessa suggested.**

**"We promised ourselves before we opened the box that you would be going back inside," Grandpa said.**

**"Very well, when all else fails and you change your minds, you'll know where to find me," she said. "The Quiet Box isn't as bad as I expected, really. After standing there waiting in the darkness for a while, you slip into a trance. Not full sleep, but you shut down, lose all sense of time. I was never hungry or thirsty-although I could use a drink now."**

**"Can you offer us sure evidence that the Sphinx is a traitor?" Grandma asked.**

**"Proof will be hard to come by. I know the names of other traitors. I was not the only one to infiltrate the Knights of the Dawn. And I know one secret that would absolutely blow your minds. But of course I'll divulge further information along those lines only in exchange for my freedom. Where is Kendra, by the way?" She asked the question with pretended innocence.**

"You miss me?"

"Of course."

"**Helping with a covert mission," Grandpa said.**

**Vanessa laughed. "Is he extracting another artifact so soon?"**

**"I said nothing about-"**

**Vanessa laughed louder, cutting him off. "Right," she chuckled. "Kendra's not in Arizona or Australia. Still, hard to believe, after all this time, the Sphinx has stopped pacing himself and is sprinting for the finish line. Any clue who went with her?"**

**"We've told her enough," Grandma said. "Fine," Vanessa said. "Good luck with the Sphinx. Good luck with the plague. And good luck with seeing Kendra again." She stepped backwards into the Quiet Box, regarding them smugly.**

"You do know how to read people." Warren said to Vanessa.

**"And good luck with getting out of there," Grandma said. Vanessa's eyes widened as Grandma slammed the door. Grandma turned to the others. "I'll not have her trying to use our fears to hold us hostage."**

**"We may eventually need her help," Grandpa said.**

**The Quiet Box turned, and Grandma opened the door. Slaggo and Voorsh took custody of the birdlike man. "I'm willing to work twice as hard in hopes of avoiding that eventuality."**

**"We lack communication with Warren, so Vanessa's knowledge of possible traitors won't help Kendra in the near future," Grandpa said. "Vanessa can offer no proof that the Sphinx is the leader of the Society. And it sounds like she'd be guessing as much as we are as to how to combat this plague. I suppose we can refrain from further questions for now."**

**"What now?" Seth asked.**

**"We need to determine how this plague started,"**

**Grandpa said, "in order to find a way to stop it."**


	7. Lost Mesa

**I don't own fablehaven**

Tanu placed the bookmark in the book and stood up.

"It's dinner time" Ruth said.

"What are we having?" Seth asked.

"Spaghetti, Everyone can do their own thing for a bit until dinner's ready then we'll read again." Ruth said.

Once everyone finished up their dinner they moved to the living room and began reading again. This time it was Seth who volunteered to read knowing full well that it would probably embarrass Kendra.

As Seth shifted to get into a more comfortable position, a knock sounded on the door. Kendra got up from her spot and opened the door. Mara was standing there. "What brings you here?" Kendra asked.

Mara pursed her lips before answering "I was told to come here from the singing sisters. Apparently I need to read something." Seth grimaced, this wasn't going to be good for her.

Kendra showed Mara a seat and motioned for Seth to start.

**Chapter Seven**

**Lost Mesa**

**The empty dirt road extended into the distance ahead of Kendra until it faded in a blur of shimmering heat. Her view of the desert landscape wobbled as the pickup jounced over the washboard surface of the desolate lane. It was rough country-uneven plains interrupted by rocky gorges and sheer plateaus. Lukewarm air**

"What the crap is lukewarm air?" Seth asked, interrupting himself.

"It's like lukewarm water, but air." Kendra said. She was trying to hide a smile. It didn't escape Seth's notice. He stuck his tongue out at her.

**gushed from the dashboard vents, refusing to actually get cool.**

**They had not stayed on roads the entire time. Part of the ride had taken them over miles of trackless terrain, emphasizing the isolation of their hidden destination. Driving directions from an Internet search were not going to lead a traveler anywhere near Lost Mesa.**

Realization flickered in Mara's eyes as she understood what they were reading and what was going to happen next.

**The driver was a quiet Navajo man with leathery skin, probably in his fifties. He wore a spotless white cowboy hat and a bolo tie. Kendra had tried to engage him in conversation-he answered all direct questions, but never elaborated or made inquiries of his own. His name was Neil. He had been married once for less than a year. He had no kids. He had worked at Lost Mesa since his teenage years. He agreed that the day was hot.**

**Warren, Dougan, and Gavin all reclined in the bed of the pickup with the luggage, wearing hats that shielded their faces from the sun.**

"It was a good hat." Warren offered. Seth peered at him over the book. Warren didn't say anything else.

**All Kendra had to do was remember how hot and dusty they were to silence any possible complaints about the truck's feeble air conditioner.**

**"Almost there," Neil said, the first unsolicited words he had uttered since "I'll take your suitcase" back at the small airport in Flagstaff.**

**Kendra leaned forward, scanning up ahead for a landmark besides sun-baked dirt and turquoise sagebrush. The only feature out of the ordinary was a low barbed-wire fence coming into view, with a battered wooden gate that spanned the road. The three-wire fence stretched out of sight in either direction. A faded No Trespassing sign hung on the gate, red background with white letters.**

**"I don't see much besides a fence," Kendra said.**

"Astound observation." Seth said. Kendra stuck out his tongue at him in retaliation.

**Neil glanced at her, eyes so squinted they looked closed. "You see the fence?"**

**"Sure. Barbed wire. Does it keep anybody out?"**

**"I've been driving this road thirty years," he said. "I still can't see the fence till after I pass it. Powerful distracter spell.**

"Wonder what genius was like 'Yes! A harmless fence! That's exactly what we need in protecting a secret preserve!'" Seth said. All this reading was messing with his head. He hadn't even gotten to any embarrassing parts yet!

**I have to focus on the road. It's tough every time, fighting the urge to turn around, even though I know exactly where I'm going."**

**"Oh," Kendra said. Her goal had not been to advertise that distracter spells had no effect on her, but she could think of no false explanation to explain how she had seen the fence so easily. There it was, three parallel strands of barbed wire affixed to slim, rusted posts.**

**When the truck reached the gate, Neil slowed to a stop, climbed down, opened the gate, climbed back up, and drove through. The instant the car passed the fence line, a massive plateau sprang into view up ahead, so dominating the landscape that Kendra could not fathom how she had failed to notice it up until now. The looming mesa was not only enormous, it was striking, with bands of white, yellow, orange, and red coloring its steep sides.**

"I hate that place." Kendra muttered.

"**Welcome to Lost Mesa," Neil said, stopping the truck again.**

**"I've got it!" Warren called as Neil opened the door to climb down again. Warren ran over and shut the gate. Neil closed his door as Warren leapt back into the truck.**

**Kendra began to notice that the imposing plateau was not the only variation in the landscape on this side of the fence. Tall saguaro cacti were suddenly plentiful, rounded green arms pointing skyward. Joshua trees mingled with the saguaros, contorted limbs twisting into unlikely shapes.**

**"There weren't cactuses like this a minute ago," Kendra said.**

**Neil shook his head. "Not like these. We have a diverse forest here."**

Mara frowned, just a slight twitch of her lips.

**The truck sped up. The road was now paved. The asphalt looked dark enough to have been recently laid. "Is that the lost mesa?" Kendra asked, looking up at the plateau.**

**"The table that went missing when the preserve was founded. Here we call it Painted Mesa. Almost nobody knows, but part of the reason the Navajo people ended up with the largest reservation in the country was to conceal this hallowed place."**

**"Do Navajos run it?" Kendra asked.**

**"Not solely. We Dine are new here compared to the Pueblo people."**

**"Has the preserve been here long?" Kendra asked. She finally had Neil on a roll!**

"Nothing like a good history talk to really get those words flying." Vanessa quipped, playfully elbowing Kendra. She smiled back.

"**This is the oldest preserve on the continent, founded centuries before European colonization, first managed by the ancient race outsiders call Anasazi. Persian magi actually established the preserve.**

"Totally called it."

**They wanted it to stay a secret. Back then, this land was unknown across the Atlantic. We're still doing a good job at remaining off the map."**

**"Painted Mesa can't be seen from outside of the fence?" Kendra asked.**

**"Not even by satellites," Neil said proudly. "This preserve is the opposite of a mirage. You don't see us, but we're really here."**

**Kendra glimpsed fairies flitting among the cacti. A few were bright, with butterfly or dragonfly wings, but most were colored in more earthy shades. Many had scales or spines or protective carapaces. Their wings reminded Kendra of locusts and beetles. One furry brown fairy flapped leathery bat wings.**

**As the truck rounded a corner, new species of cacti came into view. Some had leaves like swords; others had long, spindly arms; still others had reddish needles. Sitting up next to a clump of spherical cacti, nose twitching as it tested the air, a large rabbit with a short pair of forked antlers caught Kendra's eye.**

**"That rabbit has horns!" Kendra exclaimed.**

"You've seen fairies and demons, and a jackalope surprises you?" Dale asked. Kendra opened her mouth in protest. Apparently she couldn't think of anything to say so she shut it again.

"**Jackalope," Neil said. "They bring good luck." He glanced at Kendra without moving his head. "You had milk this morning?"**

Seth snorted.

**"Warren has some buttery stuff that works like the milk," Kendra said evasively. Warren did have a substance like that, derived from the milk of a giant walrus on a preserve in Greenland. He had even eaten some today, so his eyes would be open to the magical creatures of Lost Mesa. Kendra neglected to mention that Warren had not shared any with her because she no longer required milk to observe magical beings.**

**The truck topped a rise, and the main buildings of Lost Mesa came into view. Kendra first noticed the huge pueblo complex, which looked like two dozen boxy adobe homes artfully stacked together. The windows were dark, with no glass. Wooden beams jutted from the reddish-brown walls. Beside the pueblo stood a white hacienda with a red-tiled roof. The horseshoe-shaped hacienda looked considerably more modern than the pueblo complex. A tall water tower overshadowed the hacienda, built on long stilts. Across a vacant area from the houses stood two other structures. One was a vast wooden building with a curved aluminum roof. Even though she saw no runway, Kendra wondered if it might be an airplane hangar. The other was a low, domed structure that sheltered a wide area. The gigantic black head of a cow even bigger than Viola protruded through a large opening just above ground level. The cow was munching hay from a vast trough. Seeing that enormous head at ground level revealed to Kendra that the domed roof must cover a tremendous pit where the colossal cow lived.**

Seth and Kendra shared a look. In silent agreement they didn't say anything about the…experience they had had with Viola.

**The truck snaked along the curvy road, pulling to a stop on a tiled area outside the hacienda. Before Neil had cut the engine, the main door opened, and a short Native American woman emerged. Her silver hair was pulled up in a round bun, and she wore a colorful shawl across her shoulders. Although her copper skin was seamed, her eyes were lively, and she walked with vigor.**

Mara's lips pursed.

**Several other people followed the woman out the door. A potbellied man with narrow shoulders, long limbs, and a heavy gray mustache walked alongside a tall, slender Native American woman with a broad jaw and high cheekbones. Behind them came a freckly woman with short brown hair pushing a pudgy, round-faced Mexican man in a wheelchair.**

Mara looked away. No jokes were made.

**Kendra dropped down from the truck, while Warren, Dougan, and Gavin hopped out of the bed. "Welcome to Lost Mesa," said the older woman with the bun. "I am Rosa, the caretaker here. We're glad to have you with us."**

**They exchanged introductions. The tall younger woman was Rosa's daughter, Mara. She said nothing. The gangly man with the mustache was named Hal. Tammy was the woman pushing the wheelchair, and she seemed to know Dougan. The guy in the wheelchair was named Javier. One of his legs was missing. The other was in a splint.**

**It was decided that Warren and Dougan would go talk to Rosa, Tammy, and Javier inside the hacienda. Neil and Mara helped Warren and Dougan tote their bags into the house, leaving Kendra and Gavin alone with Hal, who had been appointed to show them around the preserve.**

Seth wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh Kendra."

Kendra blushed, much to her hatred. At least the mood was lightened even if it only was slightly. Seth meant no harm, Kendra could tell.

**"Don't that beat all," Hal said once the others were out of sight. "The sky starts falling around here, and they send us a couple of teenagers. No disrespect intended. First thing an able mind learns at Lost Mesa is that looks can deceive."**

**"Wh-wh-who died?" Gavin asked.**

**Hal raised his eyebrows. "If they didn't tell you, I'm not sure it's my place."**

**"Javier was injured at the same time?" Gavin wondered.**

**"So I'm told," Hal said, hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. The movement made Kendra notice his heavy silver belt buckle with a majestic elk engraved on the front.**

**"Hot today," Kendra said.**

"We need to talk about your small talk." Seth said. "A person such as myself would know." Kendra ignored him.

**"If you say so," Hal allowed. "Monsoon season is under way. We saw rain two nights this week. Things have cooled off a few degrees since July."**

**"Wh-what are you going to show us?" Gavin asked.**

**"Whatever you like," Hal said, flashing a smile that showed a gold tooth. "You two are getting the V.I.P. treatment, in part because you could end up with the R.I.P. treatment. Heaven forbid."**

"Think I'm signed up for that? Warren teased. Some smiled broke out.

**"D-d-do you know why we're here?" Gavin asked.**

**"None of my affair. Some foolishness up on Painted Mesa, I expect. Something risky, judging from Javier. I'm not one to pry."**

**"Tammy was working with Javier and whoever died?" Kendra asked.**

**"That she was," Hal affirmed. "Things went awry, so they called in the cavalry. You kids been to a preserve like this before?"**

**Gavin nodded.**

**"Yeah," Kendra said.**

**"Then I reckon you can guess what the cow is for." He jerked his head toward the domed structure. "We call her Mazy. She's been skittish lately, so don't slide up too close, especially when she's eating. A few folks live in the pueblo over yonder, but you'll have rooms in the house, for which you'll be grateful, once you feel the draft from the swamp coolers."**

**"What about the building that looks like a hangar?" Kendra asked.**

**"That's the museum," Hal said. "One of a kind, for all I know. We'll save it for the finale." He picked up a covered white plastic bucket with a metal handle and slung it into the bed of the truck Neil had driven. Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, Hal opened the passenger door. "Let's take a ride. We can all squeeze up front."**

**Kendra climbed up and scooted into the middle. Hal sauntered around to the driver's side, using the steering wheel to pull himself up. "Nice and cozy," Hal said, turning the key in the ignition. He glanced over at Kendra and Gavin. "Don't tell me you two are sweethearts."**

Seth eyebrows again raised in an 'oh?' expression.

**They both hastily shook their heads.**

**"Now, don't go protesting too much," he laughed, backing up the truck before starting down a dirt road. "Aside from the buildings and Painted Mesa, I know this place looks like a whole lot of nothing. But you'd be surprised at the hidden springs and ravines and sandstone mazes. Not to mention that most of the activity around here takes place beneath the surface."**

**"Caves?" Gavin asked.**

**"Caverns that would put Carlsbad to shame," Hal exclaimed. "Some individual chambers could house an entire football stadium with room to spare. I'm talking about no fewer than seven elaborate cave systems that go on for hundreds of miles all told. I expect one day we'll find how they all interconnect. If this place were open to the public, it'd be the caving capital of the world. 'Course, as you might expect, you never know what a spelunker might run across in the tunnels below Lost Mesa. Better to stay on the surface, enjoy the gorgeous gorges and the beautiful buttes."**

**"What kind of creatures are in the caves?" Kendra asked.**

**"I make a point of not knowing. One of these days I'll kick the bucket, sure enough, but curiosity will not be my downfall.**

Seth coughed. Good, no one said anything.

**That said, you don't have to go looking to know those caverns teem with every manner of haunt and bugaboo that have plagued the human race since time began. Here we go. Take a gander up ahead."**

**They came around the side of a bluff, bringing into view an old Spanish mission with a single belfry. The brown walls of the building rose and fell in gentle curves. The truck drove around to the back, where they found a cemetery enclosed by a low wall.**

**Hal brought the truck to a stop. "This and the pueblo are the oldest structures on the property," he said. "One of the most memorable features is the boneyard. It not only houses the biggest zombie collection in the world, it's one of the oldest to boot!" He opened his door and got out.**

"Once again, Kendra gets to do all the cool things." Seth said.

"Missing your zombie hand?" Kendra teased. Seth didn't say anything.

**Kendra turned to gauge Gavin's reaction, but he was already climbing down as well. She heard the tinkling of many bells coming from the graveyard. "Zombies?" Kendra asked incredulously, sliding out of the truck, soles slapping the dirt. "As in dead people?"**

**"Not people," Hal clarified. "Not like you and me." He retrieved the plastic bucket from the back of the truck. "They don't have any more brains than a leech. And they aren't any more human either."**

**"Is this safe?" Kendra asked.**

Seth snorted. "'Course it's not. They're freaking zombies!" Kendra sighed. Her brother sure could be an idiot sometimes.

**Hal led the way to a short iron gate in the cemetery wall. "Zombies have only one drive. Hunger. Satisfy that drive, and they aren't too harmful. We've got as good a system here as I've ever heard of."**

**Kendra followed Hal and Gavin through the gate and into the graveyard. None of the headstones were ostentatious. They were small and old, white as bone, worn so smooth that only a few occasional letters or numbers were faintly visible. Planted beside each grave was a bell on a small pole with a cord attached. Each cord disappeared underground. Of the nearly two hundred bells in the graveyard, at least thirty were ringing.**

Dale smiled. Clever way of doing things. If only he could do that with certain individuals…

"**Took some doing," Hal said, "but they got these zombies pretty well trained. It was done before my time. When the zombies get hungry, they ring their bells. If they ring long enough, we bring them some mash." He held up the bucket. "Long as we satisfy their hunger, they stay put."**

Seth grinned. "Sweet."

**Hal walked over to the nearest clanging bell. He crouched, lifted up a clear tube that ran into the ground, and unstopped it. Then he took a funnel from his back pocket.**

**"Mind holding this?" he asked Gavin.**

**Gavin held the funnel in the tube while Hal took the lid off the bucket and began pouring goopy red fluid. Kendra looked away as the chunky liquid sluiced through the tube.**

"Seth, it's not cool." Seth wondered if it was anything like feeding the blood-thirsty giants they had here. Maybe Kendra wasn't quite as wimpy as he thought.

**Hal quit pouring, stopped up the tube, and moved to the next active bell. Kendra noticed that the first bell was no longer ringing.**

**"What if you quit feeding them?" Gavin asked, inserting the funnel into the next tube.**

**"I expect you can guess," Hal said, pouring the gruesome sludge. "The hunger would build until they clawed their way to the surface to find food on their own."**

**"Why not get them nice and full, then dig them up and burn them?" Kendra asked.**

**"That wouldn't be very charitable," Hal scolded, proceeding to a new grave. "Maybe you don't understand. Unlike some of the undead, zombies have no human spark. Ending the suffering of a human trapped in a state like this, I could view that as mercy. But a zombie has no humanity. A zombie is something else. An endangered species, truth be known. Not pretty or cuddly, not very bright, not very quick. Tenacious predators, deadly under certain circumstances, but not overly adept at defending themselves. We found a way to keep zombies satisfied without letting them harm anyone, a way to preserve the species, so we do it, unsavory or not. We're not much different from a wildlife conservationist trying to protect ugly bats or spiders or mosquitoes from extinction. These refuges exist to protect all magical creatures, the fair ones and the foul ones alike."**

**"Makes sense, I guess," Kendra said. "Mind if I go wait in the truck?"**

"A come on Kendra. It's just a little zombie-feeding-sesh." Seth said. Bracken raised an eyebrow. Warren tried to stifle a laugh.

"Since when do you say 'sesh'?" Vanessa asked.

"**Suit yourself," Hal said, tossing her the keys. They glanced off her fingers and fell to the dry ground beside one of the tubes. After a brief hesitation, Kendra snatched them and trotted out of the graveyard.**

**As she walked to the car, she fleetingly wished she could trade places with her brother. Feeding bloody meals to subterranean zombies would probably be a favorite pastime in Seth's version of paradise.**

Seth grinned, like the maniac he was.

**And she would be more than happy to hang out with her grandparents, read old journals, and sleep in a familiar bed.**

"Seeming to live on the edge right?" Ruth teased. Kendra blushed. She was also surprised by the response. "What? Can a grandma not give a joke." No one said anything. Stan gave Ruth a pat on the shoulder.

**Inside the truck, Kendra blasted the air conditioner, aiming the tepid currents from all the vents directly at herself. It was only a slight improvement over trying to cool down using a hair dryer. She pictured herself running from a hoard of ravenous zombies on a hot day, eventually collapsing from heatstroke and getting devoured. Then she imagined Hal giving a rousing eulogy at her funeral, explaining how Kendra's death was a beautiful sacrifice allowing the noble zombies to live on, delighting future generations by mindlessly trying to eat them. With her luck, it could totally happen.**

"Well weirder things have happened." Dale said.

"Being eaten by zombies is still a pretty cool death though." Warren pointed out. "You should call Seth, he makes great tombstones." He grinned, remembering the time he had been stabbed by a flying deer.

**Hal and Gavin finally returned from the cemetery. Hal tossed the bucket into the back and climbed into the driver's seat. "Almost used up all my mash," Hal said. "Good thing I normally bring more than I need. Twenty bells is what I consider a busy day. Thirty-two is close to the record."**

Mara shook her head. "Please, it was only thirty-one."

"**Wh-wh-wh-wh-where to now?" Gavin asked. Kendra noticed one of his hands clenching into a fist as he stuttered.**

**"We'll hit a few sights, then wind up back at the museum." Hal drove them to an old mill with a covered well out front. Then he showed them the irrigated fields where a group of men and women toiled to raise corn and other crops. He pointed out a bowl-shaped cavity in the ground where a meteor had supposedly landed,**

"Once again. Kendra gets all the fun."

"How many times are you gonna say that?" Vanessa asked. "It's getting a little old, pick a new one."

Seth shrugged. "I'll work it."

**and drove them around a tremendous Joshua tree with hundreds of limbs. At last, they came back into sight of the hacienda and the pueblo complex. Hal pulled the truck to a stop in front of the museum.**

**Kendra and Gavin followed Hal to a small door beside a pair of larger doors on rollers. Hal unlocked the door and they entered. The hangar contained a single cavernous room. Daylight flooded in through high windows. Hal reached over and flipped on the lights, banishing the remaining shadows.**

**"Welcome to the Museum of Unnatural History,"**

"Alright this thing sounds cool." Seth said.

"I thought you didn't like museums." Warren said.

"Well ya, but there's probably gonna be some cool, freaky creatures in there."

**Hal said. "The world's largest collection of freestanding magical creature skeletons and other related paraphernalia."**

"Told you." Seth said.

**Directly in front of Kendra loomed a humanlike skeleton more than twice the height of a man. The skull tapered to a blunt point and had three eye sockets arranged like the points of a triangle. A bronze plaque labeled the creature a Mesopotamian Triclops.**

**Beyond the nearest skeleton were many others: the bones of a horse supporting the bones of a human upper body instead of an equine head and neck; the skeleton of an ogre positioned as if combating nine dwarfish skeletons; a cow skull the size of a motor home; a mobile suspending delicate fairy skeletons; and a titanic humanoid skeleton with curved fangs and disproportionately thick bones that extended over half the distance to the high ceiling.**

"You can't tell me that's not cool." Seth argued.

**Kendra also beheld other exotic displays. A huge, scaly skin hung on hooks, limp and dry, apparently shed by a creature with four arms and a serpentine body. A vibrant collection of eggshells, large and small, was arranged inside a glass case. Strange weapons and armor lined an entire wall. Enormous golden antlers branched outward above a doorway.**

**Despite the numerous eye-catching exhibits in the room, Gavin immediately stalked toward what was undoubtedly the main attraction. Kendra and Hal jogged after him, catching up as he stopped in the center of the room with his hands on his hips.**

**Protected by a circular railing, taking up one quarter of the total floor space, was the skeleton of an immense dragon.**

"Epic."

**Kendra gazed at the long, slender bones of the wings, the razor claws on the four feet, the vertebrae of the winding tail and elegant neck, and the vicious teeth on the massive horned skull. The milky bones were semitransparent, as if made of clouded glass or quartz, giving the tremendous skeleton an ethereal appearance.**

**"Who would dare put actual dragon bones on display?" Gavin seethed through clenched teeth.**

**"Actual bones is right," Hal said. "Unlike some of the exhibits, which are re-creations and whatnot, this is entirely the original skeleton of a single dragon. Good luck finding another like it."**

**"Who did this?" Gavin reiterated, eyes blazing.**

**Hal finally seemed to notice he was upset. "There's a plaque right in front of you."**

**Gavin stormed forward to read the bronze plaque attached to the railing.**

**World's only complete skeleton of an adult male dragon**

"See! This keeps on getting cooler and cooler!" Seth exclaimed.

**Believed by some to be Ranticus the Invincible**

**Donated by Patton Burgess**

Warren grinned. "Aw ya. Burgess's rock."

**19O1**

**Gavin gripped the railing, tendons standing out on the backs of his hands. He took a shuddering breath and then whirled, body tensed, eyeing Hal like he was ready to throw a punch. "Have none of you ever heard that the remains of a dragon are sacred?"**

**Hal returned his gaze, unperturbed. "You have some special connection with dragons, Gavin?"**

**Gavin lowered his eyes, his body going slack. After a moment, he spoke, his voice calmer. "My-my dad worked with dragons."**

"Right that's the reason. No other reason at all." Kendra said. Maybe she had been spending too much time around Seth recently.

"**No fooling," Hal said with admiration. "Not many men have the constitution for that kind of work. Mind if ask your dad's name?"**

**"Charlie Rose." He did not lift his eyes.**

**"Your dad is Chuck Rose?" Hal gasped. "He's the closest thing we've had to a dragon tamer since Patton himself! I never knew Chuck had a kid! 'Course, he always was a mite secretive. How's your old man?"**

**"Dead."**

**Hal's face fell. "Oh. Hadn't caught wind of that. I'm sorry to hear it, I truly am. No wonder the sight of a dragon skeleton would put you ill at ease."**

**"Dad fought hard to protect dragons," Gavin said, finally lifting his gaze. "Their welfare was his top priority. He taught me a lot about them. I don't know much about Patton Burgess."**

**"Patton ain't exactly news no more. Passed on more than sixty years ago. Makes sense that your father wouldn't have brought him up too much. Those who love dragons would avoid the subject. Rumor has it-never confirmed, mind you-that Patton was the last living person to slay a full-grown dragon."**

"Fast forward a little bit, and I say me and Kendra should get atleast a plaque or something." Seth said.

**Kendra tried to keep her expression steady. If she revealed how she knew about Patton Burgess, it would tie her to Fablehaven. Better to avoid the appearance of knowing anything about the topic.**

**"Slayed a full-grown dragon?" Gavin asked with a smile, clearly not believing a word. "Did he claim to have killed this dragon?"**

**"Way my granddad tells it, and my granddad met him, Patton never claimed to have killed a dragon. Fact is, he claimed the opposite. In this case, Patton said he found old Ranticus by following shady merchants who were pillaging his organs and selling them off piece by piece."**

**"Ranticus was numbered among the twenty lost dragons," Gavin said. "One of the minority who never sought refuge in a sanctuary."**

**"We don't mean any harm keeping him on display," Hal said. "It's out of respect more than anything. Preserving what we can. Ain't like we charge admission."**

**Gavin nodded. "B-b-because of my dad, dragons mean more to me than any other creature. I'm sorry if my reaction was out of line."**

**"No harm done. Sorry I didn't know your pedigree-I would have handled that differently."**

**"Like not brought me in here?" Gavin asked.**

**"You're onto me," Hal admitted. "The bones are beautiful," Kendra said, turning her attention back to the fantastical skeleton.**

**"Lighter and stronger than anything I can think of," Hal said.**

**Gavin turned to face the exhibit as well. "Only other dragons can properly dispose of them. Time and the elements are no match."**

**They regarded the dragon remains in silence for several minutes. Kendra felt as though she could stare at the skeleton for the rest of the day. It was as if dragons were magical right down to their bones.**

"Something like that."

**Hal rubbed his round belly. "Anybody else itching for some grub?"**

**"I could eat," Gavin said.**

**"How do you eat with that mustache?" Kendra asked as they started toward the exit.**

"Really Kendra?" Seth asked.

"It's a legit question!"

**Hal stroked the whiskers lovingly. "I call it my flavor saver."**

"Ya, this guy's cool." Warren said. "Maybe I should grow a stache." He pretended to stroke an imaginary beard.

"**Sorry I asked," Kendra said, scrunching her face.**

**They passed out of the warehouse in silence. Hal ignored the truck and ambled toward the hacienda. "I can honestly say that I'm glad to have met you two," Hal said as they approached the front door. "One of you may be a little squeamish about zombies, and the other a mite sympathetic to dragons, but we've all got our oddities. Come to mention it, I'm doubly glad you're here, since Rosa never lays quite as full a table as when we have company."**

**"You like Rosa?" Gavin asked.**

**"Like her fine," Hal said. "What with her being my spouse and all I oughtn't complain. Lost Mesa is different from some preserves in that it has always been managed by a female caretaker. Comes from Pueblo culture, where the women inherit the property. I expect Mara will take over the position before long.**

Mara gave a small smile.

**She's a tough one-loyal as they come, but none too friendly."**

Mara shrugged. He wasn't wrong.

**Hal opened the door and led them down a hall to an airy dining room. The hacienda was less hot and more humid than outside. Kendra noticed a large evaporative cooler humming in a window. Warren and Dougan already sat at the table with Rosa and Mara.**

**"We wondered when you'd show up," Rosa said. "Where'd you take them, Colorado?"**

**"That must have been appetizing," Warren said, shooting Kendra a glance.**

**"W-w-we're ready for food," Gavin said.**

**"We're ready to feed you," Rosa said with a smile. "Enchilada soup, tamales, and corn casserole."**

**Tammy wheeled Javier into the room, and they started passing the food around. Kendra tried to put zombies out of her mind when Rosa ladled the reddish soup into her bowl. The food looked and tasted different from other Mexican fare Kendra had eaten. Even though she found it a little too spicy, she enjoyed it.**

"Yes. This is what you call real Mexican food." Mara said. She missed her mom's cooking.

**The conversation during dinner was all small talk, with Hal saying the most, and Mara saying nothing. After the meal, Warren and Dougan excused themselves, taking Kendra and Gavin with them. Warren led Kendra into a bedroom with a view of the courtyard and closed the door.**

**"Dougan is filling in Gavin," Warren said. "This will be your room. We should be out of here in no time. We're going after the artifact tomorrow. They agreed to let me tag along. All you'll have to do is sit tight."**

**"What happened last time?" Kendra asked.**

**Warren moved closer and spoke lower. "It was Javier, Tammy, and a guy named Zack. The entrance to the vault is up on top of Painted Mesa, and I guess getting there is a pain. Neil knew a way, so he guided them up, but waited outside the entrance. Rosa had entrusted them with the key to the vault, so they got inside without much trouble and made it past a couple of traps. Then they ran into a dragon."**

**"A live one?" Kendra said.**

**"Zack, the leader, was dead before they knew what was happening. Javier lost a leg and injured the other one. He wasn't bitten-he got swiped by the tail. He and Tammy were lucky to escape with their lives. They couldn't relate much about what the dragon looked like, but they both act certain about what attacked them."**

**"Gavin's dad worked with dragons," Kendra said.**

**"Which is why they brought him along. Apparently Gavin is a natural dragon tamer. You need to keep that quiet for his sake. It's the main reason his father kept him a secret. It could make him as big a target as you."**

"Kendra is basically a shiny disco ball on legs." Seth said. Kendra play-punched him in He shoulder.

**"What's a dragon tamer?" Warren sat down on the bed. "To understand that, first you have to understand dragons, arguably the most powerful race of magical creatures. They live for thousands of years, they can grow to the size of apartment buildings, they have frighteningly keen intellects, and they have deep magic woven into every fiber of their bodies. Just about any mortals who try to converse with dragons find themselves instantly transfixed and rendered utterly powerless. A dragon tamer can avoid this effect and actually hold a conversation."**

**"And then they can control the dragon?" Kendra asked.**

**Warren chuckled. "Nobody controls a dragon. But dragons are so accustomed to overpowering all other beings simply with their gaze that they find a human who they cannot break most intriguing. It's a dangerous game, but sometimes dragons will grant favors to such individuals, including allowing them to live."**

**"So Gavin will try to talk his way past the dragon?" Kendra asked.**

**"That's the idea. I just found out about the dragon, but they informed him earlier. I guess he's game to try. And I'm fool enough to tag along."**

**"What if talking fails? Could you guys kill it?"**

**"Are you serious? With what? Their scales are like stone, their bones like adamant. They each have a unique arsenal of powers at their disposal, not to mention teeth, tail, and claws. And keep in mind, all but a select few people become petrified in their presence. Dragons are the supreme predator."**

**"Hal acted like Patton Burgess might have killed a dragon," Kendra said.**

**"How'd you end up talking about slaying dragons?"**

"Oh you know, just your casual small talk."

"**They have a dragon skeleton in their museum. Donated by Patton."**

**"Patton always denied the rumors that he ever killed a dragon. I see no reason to doubt him. In olden times, great wizards learned how to use magic to destroy dragons, which was how they persuaded them to take refuge in the Seven Sanctuaries. But a wizard who could slay a dragon has not walked the earth for hundreds of years. The only people I've heard of killing dragons in our times are poachers abusing hatchlings. Poachers of that sort are rare, courtesy of their short life spans."**

**"What are the Seven Sanctuaries?" Kendra asked.**

"Stupid. Very, very stupid places to go." Kendra said. She sent Seth a glare before he could say something about talking to herself.

"**Higher preserves than the kind you have seen," Warren said. "Some magical creatures are too powerful to endure human supervision. These are sent to the Seven Sanctuaries. Almost nobody knows their locations, myself included. But we're straying from the topic."**

**"You're going to try to steal an artifact from a dragon," Kendra said.**

**"Close. I'm going to sneak past a dragon in order to help Dougan obtain an artifact in order to steal it from Dougan in order to hide it in a better spot."**

**"You think Gavin can really talk his way past a dragon?" Kendra asked.**

**"If he's everything Dougan claims, maybe. His father was the most renowned dragon expert in the world. Even among caretakers and Knights of the Dawn, dragons remain the stuff of legend. I've never seen a live one. Almost none of us have. But Chuck Rose lived among them for months at a time, studying their habits. He even photographed one."**

**"How'd he die?"**

**Warren sighed. "A dragon ate him."**

"I mean he's not wrong." Seth pointed out.

**"Here and there," Hal said unflappably. "Fed the zombies and such." He stole a blue corn chip from a basket on the table, jerking his hand away before Rosa could swat it with a ladle.**

"That's the end." Seth said.

"I'll read." Vanessa said.

* * *

***oh boy. I haven't update this in months. I'm sorry to anyone who actually reads this. Huge thanks to thedragonbrother for actually getting me to write this, props to you friend.***


	8. Shadowman

**I don't own fablehaven!**

Vanessa picked up the book and flipped it open to the page that was dog-eared. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Stan. He held a coin. It was one Bracken had enchanted, only he had linked two coins together. "I have to take this." He stepped up and walked away from the group, holding a finger that signaled a minute. The next few minutes dragged on as he rejoined the group. "Something's come up."

One stressful month later, on a Monday morning, the group was finally re-banded and able to read. The group itself consisted of Stan, Ruth, Warren, Dale, Vanessa, Tanu, Mara, Bracken, Seth, Kendra, Marla, And Scott. They all sat around the large dining table while Vanessa started.

**Chapter Eight**

**Shadowman**

**Seth squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and started scrubbing his teeth. He hardly saw his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Things at Fablehaven were getting so intense he had almost stopped envying Kendra for being away. Almost. He still sometimes pictured her and Warren rappelling into an Egyptian tomb, mowing down mummies and cobras with machine guns.**

"Wait what?" Kendra asked.

**An adventure that awesome would outshine a mysterious plague making the fairies lose their light.**

**After spitting into the sink and splashing water on his face, Seth headed out of the bathroom and up the attic stairs. He had just participated in a long conversation with Grandpa, Grandma, Tanu, and Dale, and he was trying to sort through all the new information so he could figure out a way to save everybody. If only he could prove that his defeating the revenant hadn't been a fluke, the next time a secret mission became necessary, maybe they would bring him along.**

Warren patted his shoulder. "Maybe next time buddy."

"I hate you."

**At the top of the stairs he paused, leaning against the side of the doorway. The fading light of dusk glowed purple through the window of the attic playroom. Grandpa and the others had been trying to list all the possible sources of the plague. According to them, there were four major demons at Fablehaven: Bahumat, who was trapped in a secure prison under a hill; Olloch the Glutton, who was frozen in the woods until some idiot fed him;**

"Ya, who would do that?" Tanu said. He winked at Seth. Kendra had to hide her smile.

**Graulas, a very old demon who was basically hibernating;**

"Oh the foreshadowing," Kendra said.

**and a demon nobody had ever seen named Kurisock, who lived in a tar pit.**

"I might've regret telling you that," Stan said.

**Against his will, Seth glanced at the journals piled beside Kendra's bed. She had known about the tar pit already because of reading. Could those pages contain info Grandpa and the others might have overlooked? Probably not. And if so, they were welcome to do the reading themselves.**

"Anything to get out of reading, huh?" Vanessa said.

"It's a legit reason!"

**The adults had expressed the opinion that, of the four demons, Bahumat and Olloch were currently the most dangerous, because they had never agreed to the Fablehaven treaty. Normally, all of the magical creatures admitted to Fablehaven had to pledge to abide by the treaty, which established boundaries for where they could roam and limits to how much they could harm other creatures. There were borders that Graulas and Kurisock had sworn not to cross, rules they had made binding vows not to break. Only people foolish enough to enter their domains were at serious risk from those two.**

"Even your inner-monologue tells you an idiot would have to do that," Kendra said. Seth sat fuming.

**But Bahumat had been at Fablehaven since before the treaty was established, and Olloch had come to Fablehaven as a guest, which imposed certain automatic restraints but left room for him to cause trouble if he gained enough power. At least that was how Seth understood it.**

"Oh, right, my bad."

**The important part was that the plague probably wasn't caused by any of the four demons, at least not acting directly. None of them had sufficient access. There were some candidates in the dungeon, but Dale had checked, and they were all still safely imprisoned. There was a hag in the swamp who had helped train Muriel, but Grandma had maintained that starting the plague was far beyond her abilities, and the others agreed. There was a poisonous bog full of evil creatures, but their boundaries were clearly defined. Same with the inhabitants of a tunnel not far from where Nero lived.**

"I've always wanted to check that out," Seth mused. Stan looked at him, and Seth gulped.

**Grandpa had named many other dark creatures on the preserve, but none that were strong enough in dark magic to have possibly initiated the plague.**

"Wow, Seth. Pretty intuitive of you" Warren commented.

"You can all shut up now."

**In the end, with no viable suspects, Seth had asked what creature haunted the old Fablehaven mansion. Before responding, the adults wanted to know how he knew a creature dwelled there.**

"See! No trust!"

**He had never brought up how he had visited the manor after escaping from Olloch, worried that everyone would be angry at him for choosing to go inside. He explained how he had been lost, and how he had hoped that from the roof he could get some perspective regarding his location. Then he told how a mysterious whirlwind arose, chasing him from the house, leaving him shaken and terrified.**

Marla had stayed quiet, but one look at her could tell you she was going into protective mother-mode. She must have taught Dale it.

**Grandpa explained that they weren't sure what dwelled in the mansion. Apparently the manor had been overthrown on Midsummer Eve more than a hundred years ago. The acting caretaker at the time, Marshal Burgess, lost his life, and caretakers had been warned ever after to avoid the old manor.**

"Remind me not to upset any hamadryads," Warren said.

Dale looked at him, completely serious. "That's not going to happen."

"Ya, why's that?"

"You've already got Van—"

"Alright, moving on!" He motioned for Vanessa to start again.

"**Whatever found a new home in the mansion," Grandpa had concluded, "was something from this preserve. Even if it escaped from the poisoned bog, it should not have the power to create a plague like we're witnessing. An advantage to the treaty is that we know what creatures are here. We have them catalogued."**

**"How could any creature have remained in the mansion after Midsummer Eve?" Tanu had inquired. "The culprit should have been forced to return to its proper dwelling once the night ended."**

"See Seth, this is way more interesting than going to Lost Mesa!" Kendra said.

"That's because it's like one of your dumb mystery books."

"Hey—"

"Kids," Scott warned.

Warren leaned over to Bracken. "It's so much different when they're disciplined by their parents." Bracken nodded.

"It's…different.

"**Theoretically any of them could remain if they managed to change the register, which appears to be what happened," Grandpa had explained. "The register is used to alter certain boundaries and grant access. Patton Burgess managed to tear the treaty from the register and escape with those essential pages. Otherwise the preserve might have fallen. The treaty now resides in the current register. But the damage done to the old manor was irreparable."**

**So the whirlwind wasn't the answer.**

Tanu snorted.

**The demons weren't the answer. None of the creatures at Fablehaven were apparently the answer. And yet the plague was happening. They had eventually decided to sleep on it, leaving the problem unresolved. The only decisive action taken all day was when Grandpa used the register to prohibit all fairies from entering the yard.**

"Man, don't you hate it when you're Gardners turn evil and start attacking you?" Warren joked

"They're not just Gardners," Bracken said. Tough crowd.

**Seth wandered to the window to gaze out at the purple evening, and jumped back when he saw a black figure silhouetted against the glowing sky. Seth jostled against the nearby telescope,**

"Does it work this time?" Kendra asked. Seth's tuck his tongue out at her. When they had arrived at Fablehaven, Kendra had used the telescope and had changed it to Seth couldn't see when he had stolen it from her.

**embracing the expensive piece of equipment before it could topple. Then Seth turned back to the window, half expecting the figure to be gone.**

**The figure remained, crouching, not a silhouette-a human-shaped, three-dimensional shadow. The shadowman waved at Seth. Hesitant, Seth waved back.**

Stan sighed. Ruth patted his shoulder, remembering the days when he had been a miniature Seth himself.

**The shadowman shook his fists as if excited, then motioned for Seth to open the window. Seth shook his head. The shadowman pointed at himself, then pointed into the room, then once again pantomimed opening the window.**

**Seth had gotten into major trouble the previous summer for letting a creature into the house by opening that same attic window.**

"Bad rap sheet. Happens to the best of us," Warren said, grinning.

**The creature had been disguised as a baby, but turned out to be a goblin, and once inside, the treacherous intruder had let other monstrosities in. Before the night was over, Grandpa had been kidnapped, and Dale had been temporarily turned to lead.**

"Dale you were mentioned!" Warren exclaimed.

"I'm touched."

**Seth had learned his lesson. This year, he had stayed in bed on Midsummer Eve. Peeking out the window had hardly been a temptation.**

**Of course, Midsummer Eve was different from most days, being a night when the boundaries of Fablehaven were dissolved and all sorts of nightmarish monsters could come into the yard. But today was ordinary. On a regular evening, dangerous creatures should not have access to the yard in order to crouch outside Seth's window. Did that mean the shadowman was a friendly creature?**

"Ya, I wonder," Tanu said.

**Then again, nice creatures had become menacing lately. Maybe this shadowman had once been able to enter the yard, and now that he was evil, he was using that status to trick Seth! Or maybe this was whoever had started the plague! The thought made Seth shiver. It had a ring of truth to it-the inky black figure looked like a likely candidate for starting a plague that replaced light with darkness.**

**Seth tugged the curtains shut and backed away from the window. What should he do? He had to tell somebody!**

Ruth clapped her hands.

**Seth clomped down the attic steps and raced to his grandparents' room. The door was shut, so he banged on it.**

**"Come in," Grandpa invited.**

**Seth opened the door. Neither Grandpa or Grandma had changed into their nightclothes yet. "There's something outside my window," Seth whispered hastily.**

"There's a monster in my closet!" Kendra said.

"**What do you mean?" Grandpa asked.**

**"A shadowman. A living shadow in the shape of a man. He wanted me to let him in. What creatures can enter the yard besides fairies?"**

**"Hugo and Mendigo," Grandma said. "And of course the brownies live under the yard and have access to the house. Anything else, Stan?"**

**"Everything else is by invitation only," Grandpa said. "I've let satyrs into the yard on occasion."**

"Aren't those the—" Mara started.

"Yes, Yes they are."

"**What if this shadow guy started the plague?" Seth speculated. "A creature we didn't know was on the preserve, some shadowy enemy who can come into the yard but not the house."**

**Grandpa scowled thoughtfully. "The yard has fail safes to prevent most creatures, even surprise guests, from entering. Whatever the nature of this shadowman, not all of the rules seem to apply."**

**"At least it couldn't enter the house," Grandma said.**

"She's Not Wrong," Dale said.

**Grandpa started toward the door. "We had better fetch Tanu and Dale."**

**Seth followed Grandma and Grandpa as they collected Tanu and Dale and explained the situation. They mounted the steps to the attic in a line, Grandpa in front, Seth at the rear. Moving the telescope out of the way, they gathered around the curtained window, Grandma with her crossbow, Tanu holding a potion ready.**

"If it's a shadowman, What would a crossbow do?" Kendra asked.

"Moral support."

**Grandpa pulled aside the curtains to reveal an empty stretch of roof barely visible in the dying twilight. Seth pushed his way forward to the glass, peering in all directions. The shadowman was gone.**

**"He was here," Seth promised.**

**"I believe you," Grandpa said.**

**"He really was," Seth maintained.**

**They waited, watching as Grandpa shone a flashlight through the slightly warped panes. They located no sign of an intruder. Grandpa clicked off the flashlight.**

**"Keep the window closed tonight," Tanu admonished. "If he returns, come for me. If not, I'll search the roof in the morning."**

**Tanu, Dale, and Grandpa left the room. Grandma waited at the top of the stairs. "You'll be all right?"**

**"I'm not scared," Seth said. "I just hoped I'd found something useful."**

**"You probably have. Keep that window shut."**

**"I will."**

**"Good night, dear. You did the right thing to come and tell us."**

Seth rolled his eyes. Reading back through this, it seemed dumb now.

"'**Night."**

**Grandma left.**

**Seth changed into his pajamas and flopped onto his bed. He began to suspect that the shadowman had returned, perching outside the window. The fiend had probably not wanted the others to see him. But now if Seth peeked, he would be there, silently asking to enter.**

**Unable to banish the suspicion,**

"This is why you get in trouble," Kendra said.

"Ok, hey—"

**Seth went to the window and threw aside the curtain. The shadowman had not returned.**

**The next morning, Tanu crept around on the roof outside the window but found no trace of a visitor. Seth was unsurprised. Since when did shadows leave footprints?**

"Wait, Shadowcharmer, shadowman, eh? Nothing?" Scott said.

"You're _just_ getting that?" Seth asked.

"Seth," Marla said.

"I didn't mean it like _that_."

**At breakfast, Grandpa tried to inform Seth he would be restricted to the house all day. After Seth's persistent complaining, Grandpa agreed to let him play with Mendigo in the yard if somebody supervised them from the deck.**

Bracken grinned. "Never one for prisons, huh?"

"I couldn't last a day in one."

**Grandpa, Grandma, Tanu, and Dale spent the day poring over journals and other books from their extensive library, trying to find any hint of something like the plague afflicting the creatures of Fablehaven. They took turns reading on the deck. Mendigo had orders to bring Seth inside at the first appearance of anything suspicious.**

"How's he supposed to know what's suspicious?" Marla asked.

Seth made jazz hands. "Magic."

**The day passed uneventfully. Seth played football and baseball with Mendigo, and went swimming in the afternoon. At lunch and dinner, Seth listened as the adults discussed how frustrated they were about the lack of any information that explained what was transpiring at Fablehaven. Grandpa had still been unable to get a call through to the Sphinx.**

Vanessa rolled her eyes.

**After dinner, Seth begged his way outside for a few minutes. Hugo was there, having recently finished some chores in the barn,**

Kendra and Seth shivered.

"You two ok?" Warren asked.

"We don't talk about it."

**and Seth wanted to see what happened if Mendigo pitched to the golem.**

**The baseball bat looked tiny clutched in Hugo's massive hand. Seth told Hugo to hit the ball as hard as he could, then instructed Mendigo to throw a fastball right down the middle. Seth moved out of the way, worried about getting brained by a foul ball. He didn't think they would need a catcher.**

"I mean call me crazy…"

**Mendigo hurled a blazing pitch, and Hugo, swinging one-handed, whaled the ball into the sky. Seth tried to follow the baseball as it shrank into the distance, but failed. He knew the ball had still been rising when it cleared the trees on the far side of the yard, so it had to have landed a good ways into the woods.**

**Seth turned to Tanu, who was sitting on the deck, enjoying the sunset as he sipped herbal tea. "Can I send Mendigo to fetch it?"**

"Think how cool it would look when he brought it back," Warren said.

"**Go ahead," Tanu said, "if you think the ball is worth fetching."**

**"It might just be a pile of mush," Seth laughed.**

**"That was quite a blast."**

**Seth told Mendigo to quickly retrieve the ball, but the puppet did not respond. When Tanu repeated the command, the limberjack dashed across the yard and into the woods. That was when Seth saw the shadowman coming into the yard not far from where Mendigo had entered the trees. The phantom moved toward Seth with swift, deliberate strides. Seth retreated toward the deck. "There he is," Seth told Tanu, pointing. "The shadowman."**

Scott mumbled about how great his connection was.

**The Samoan stared in the direction Seth was indicating, looking perplexed. "In the trees?"**

**"No, right there, in the yard, coming through that flower bed!"**

**Tanu stared for a moment longer. "I don't see anything."**

**"He's on the lawn now, getting close to us, walking fast."**

**"I still don't see it," Tanu said, giving Seth a worried glance.**

**"You think I'm crazy?" Seth asked.**

"Wouldn't be the first time," Kendra said. Seth elbowed her.

**"I think we better get inside," Tanu said, backing toward the door. "Just because I can't see him doesn't mean you don't. Where is he now?"**

"I love how you just assume everyone doesn't believe you," Warren laughed.

"Could you blame me?"

"**Almost to the deck."**

**Tanu motioned for Seth to follow and went in the back door. Seth entered after Tanu and they shut the door. "We have a situation," Tanu called.**

**The others hurried into the room.**

**"What now?" Grandpa asked.**

**"Seth sees the shadowman in the yard," Tanu said. "I don't."**

**"He's on the deck," Seth said, looking out a window by the door.**

**"Where?" Grandpa asked.**

**"Right there, by the rocker."**

**"Anybody else see it?" Grandma asked.**

**"Not me," Dale said.**

**"He's motioning for us to come outside," Seth said.**

**Placing her hands on her hips, Grandma regarded Seth suspiciously.**

"Told you!"

"**You're not leading us on, are you? This would be a terrible joke, Seth. The situation at Fablehaven is much too-"**

**"I'm not making this up! I would never lie about something so important. I can't imagine why you guys can't see him!"**

**"Describe him," Grandpa said.**

**"Like I said last night, it looks like the shadow of a man, but three-dimensional," Seth said. "There isn't much else to describe. He's holding up his left hand, pointing at it with the other hand. Oh my gosh!"**

Bracken nodded in understanding.

"**What?" Grandma prodded.**

**"He's missing his pinky and part of his ring finger."**

**"Coulter," Grandpa said. "Or some form of him."**

"Dark humans, pretty sweet," Seth said.

"Are you trying to brag about the plague now?"

"I'm changing tactics."

"**Or something that wants us to believe it's some form of him," Grandma added.**

**Grandpa strode to the door. "Warn us if he moves toward me," Grandpa told Seth, cracking the door open. Leaning forward, Grandpa spoke through the opening. "If you're a friend, stay where you are."**

**"He's not moving," Seth said.**

**"Are you Coulter Dixon?" Grandpa asked.**

**"He nodded," Seth said.**

**"What do you want?"**

**"He's motioning for us to come with him."**

**"Can you speak?"**

**"He shook his head. He's pointing at me, and motioning for me to come."**

"Awfully convenient," Scott said. Marla swatted him. She turned to Stan.

"Don't you dare let him do that."

"**Seth's not going with you," Grandpa said.**

**"He's pointing at himself and then into the house. He wants to come inside."**

**"We can't invite you in. You could be our friend, with your mind intact, simply in an altered state, or-"**

**"He's giving a thumbs-up and nodding," Seth interrupted.**

**"Or you could be a twisted version of Coulter, with all his knowledge, but sinister intentions." Grandpa closed the door and turned to the others. "We can't risk letting him inside, or being led into a trap."**

**"He's making a pleading gesture," Seth reported.**

"That's a first," Kendra said.

**Grandpa closed his eyes, steadying himself, then opened the door again. "Help me understand what is happening. You are free to roam the preserve?"**

**"Thumbs-up," Seth said.**

**"Even places where we normally would be unable to go?"**

**"Two thumbs up," Seth said. "That one must be important."**

"Astound observation," Vanessa said.

"**And you have found something we need to see."**

**"He's shaking his hand like so-so."**

**"You can lead us to vital information."**

**"Two thumbs up."**

**"And it is urgent? The situation is dire?"**

**"Thumbs-up."**

**"What if only I come?" Grandpa offered.**

Marla nodded.

"**Thumbs-down."**

**"Seth has to come?"**

**"Thumbs-up."**

**"Could Tanu and I come with Seth?"**

**"He's shrugging," Seth said.**

**"You don't know? Can you find out?"**

**"Thumbs-up."**

**"Go find out if we can come. I can't send Seth with you alone, I hope you understand. And none of us can accompany you until we can confirm you are not an evil version of yourself seeking to betray us.**

Kendra snorted.

**Give us some time to deliberate. Can you come back in the morning?"**

**"He's shaking his head," Seth relayed. "He's pantomiming**

"Seth—!"

"Shut it."

**a ball. Now he's shielding his eyes. I think he means he can't go out in the sunlight.**

"So he's a vampire?" Warren said. He gave a glance at Vanessa and winked.

**Yep, he heard me, he's giving a thumbs-up."**

**"Tomorrow evening, then," Grandpa said.**

**"Thumbs-up."**

**"Try to think of a way to prove we can trust you."**

**"He's tapping a finger to the side of his head, like he'll think about it. Now he's walking away."**

**Grandpa closed the door. "I can't foresee a way to prove he's the same Coulter we love and trust.**

Kendra held out on a comment. She mentally smacked herself. He was _dead_.

**He could have all of Coulter's knowledge yet still be a threat."**

**"Why can't he come into the house on his own?" Dale asked.**

**"I think he could if we left the door open," Tanu said. "He's insubstantial right now. Not immaterial enough to pass through a door, but he can't open one on his own."**

**"How do we confirm he's on our side?" Seth asked.**

**"Your grandfather may be right," Grandma said. "I'm not sure there's a way."**

**"The situation is dire enough that if he would let me go with him, I would simply take the risk," Grandpa said. "But I'll not let Seth do it."**

**"I'll take the risk," Seth said. "I'm not afraid."**

Kendra rolled her eyes.

"**Why is he insisting Seth comes?" Dale asked.**

**"Only Seth can see him," Tanu said.**

**"Of course," Grandpa said. "No wonder he was adamant that we couldn't come without Seth. I was too busy trying to find a deeper purpose in it."**

"Tanu knows all," Warren said.

"**Still," Grandma said, "he was hesitant to allow others to join Seth. Why could it be that only Seth can see him?"**

**Nobody ventured a guess.**

**"You're sure you aren't making fools of us ?" Grandma asked Seth again, studying him shrewdly.**

"I'm starting to question you guy's loyalty," Seth said.

**"I promise," Seth said.**

**"This isn't a trick to get out of the house and into the woods?" Grandma pressed.**

**"Trust me, if all I wanted was to get into the woods, I'd already be there.**

"If I had wanted you dead, you already would be."

"Kendra?"

"Ya?"

"I told you those mystery books sucked."

**I swear I would never make up a story like this. And I have no idea why only I can see him."**

**"I believe you, Seth," Grandpa said. "But I don't like any of this. I wonder if our shadowy Coulter could reveal himself to more of us if he wanted? Could he be choosing to let only Seth see him? We need to do all we can to make sense of this. Unanswerable questions are piling up. I propose we speak with Vanessa again. If she can be of any service, now is the time to call upon her. Perhaps in her work for our enemies she has witnessed something like this shadowman phenomenon."**

"I'm touched."

"**She's not a cure-all," Grandma said. "Odds are all she'll be able to do is imitate the same guesses we're making."**

**"Our guesses aren't adding up to much," Grandpa said. "Time could be running out. We should at least check."**

**"I'll go in the box, if it will speed things up," Dale volunteered. "Long as you let me out."**

"Actually they were going to strand you," Warren said.

"**She'll be going back inside," Grandma promised.**

**Grandma got her crossbow and Grandpa grabbed a flashlight. Tanu went to retrieve his handcuffs but returned empty-handed. "Anybody seen my handcuffs? All I can find are the keys."**

**"Did you ever take them off of her?" Grandma asked. Something about the way she asked the question hinted that she already knew the answer.**

**They descended the steps to the basement. When they reached the Quiet Box, Dale opened the door and stepped inside. Grandma closed the door, the Quiet Box rotated, and when she opened it, Vanessa stood there with her wrists cuffed together.**

**"Thanks for leaving me shackled," she said, stepping out of the box. "As if I didn't already feel like part of a cheap magic act. What's the latest?"**

"Oh ya, this is really great," Vanessa said.

"**Coulter is in some sort of darkened, shadowy state," Grandpa said. "He can't speak. He seems to want to share information with us, but we don't know if we can trust him."**

**"Neither do I," Vanessa said. "Have you any guesses how the plague originated?"**

**"Do you?" Grandma responded, her tone accusatory.**

**"I've had some time to mull it over.**

"Wait, What was the name the sisters used?" Scott asked.

"Brandon Mull," Vanessa answered.

"Ahah!"

**What have you come up with?"**

**"Honestly, we can't fathom how it could have originated here," Grandpa said. "Bahumat is imprisoned, Olloch is frozen, the other major demons are bound by the treaty. We can't think of any being at Fablehaven with the ability to initiate something like this."**

**As he spoke, a smile appeared on Vanessa's lips, gradually widening. "And the obvious conclusion hasn't occurred to any of you?"**

**"That it came from outside of Fablehaven?" Grandma guessed.**

**"Not necessarily," Vanessa said. "I have a different possibility in mind. But I don't want to go back into the box."**

Bracken narrowed his eyes at Vanessa. Kendra put a hand on his arm.

"**There is no way for you to undo the connection you forged when you bit us?" Grandpa asked.**

**"I could lie and say there was," Vanessa said. "You know the link is permanent. I would be happy to take an oath never to use those connections again."**

**"We know what your word is worth," Grandpa said.**

**"Considering that the Sphinx is now more my enemy than yours, you can rely on me much more than you know. I'm enough of an opportunist to recognize when the time has come to trade sides."**

**"And to recognize when you can commit a large enough betrayal for the Sphinx to welcome you back," Grandma said. "Or perhaps the Sphinx really is on our side, and whoever employs you would be glad for your return as soon as you manage to slip away."**

Vanessa put a hand under her chin as she continued to read. Was she…bored?

"**Makes it complicated," Vanessa admitted.**

**"Vanessa," Grandpa said, "if you don't help us rescue Fablehaven, you might be stuck in that box for the rest of eternity."**

**"No prison lasts forever," Vanessa said.**

"Shoot!" Kendra said. Vanessa winked at her.

"**Besides, as blind as you seem, sooner or later you'll arrive at the same conclusion I did."**

"That must've been infuriating," Warren said.

"Oh, it was," Seth affirmed.

"**Let's make it sooner," Grandpa said, raising his voice for the first time. "I'm on the verge of deciding the Quiet Box is too good for you. I could arrange a stay in the Hall of Dread. Your ability to haunt our sleep wouldn't remain a concern for long."**

**Vanessa paled.**

**Seth did not know too much about the Hall of Dread. He knew it was on the other side of the dungeon behind a blood-red door,**

"Of course, why wouldn't that be the case," Marla ranted.

**and that the prisoners there required no food. Apparently Vanessa knew more details than he did.**

**"I'll tell you," Vanessa relented. "Granted, I'd rather go to the Hall of Dread than give away the key knowledge that might buy my freedom. But this is not that information. Nor does it get you much closer to comprehending how the plague began, although it sheds some light on whom to blame. Are you sure the Sphinx took the previous occupant of the Quiet Box off the preserve with him?"**

Bracken furrowed his brow.

"**We watched them drive away..." Grandma's voice trailed off.**

**"Did you observe them from all angles the entire time?" Vanessa pursued. "Is it possible the Sphinx might have released the prisoner before passing through the gate?"**

**Grandma and Grandpa looked at each other. Then Grandpa looked at Vanessa. "We watched them depart, but not closely enough to guarantee you're wrong. Your theory is plausible."**

**"Given the circumstances," Vanessa said, "I'd say probable. There is no other explanation."**

**The thought of that secret prisoner bundled in burlap roaming the preserve turning nipsies and fairies dark made Seth shudder. He had to admit, it was the most likely proposition they had considered.**

"Sadly," Kendra said.

"**What do you know about the prisoner?" Grandma asked Vanessa.**

**"No more than you," Vanessa said. "I have no clue who the prisoner was, or how he or she or it started the plague, but the process of elimination sure makes the prisoner look like the culprit. And it definitely doesn't reflect well on the Sphinx."**

**"You're right, we should have seen this possibility," Grandpa said. "I wonder if, deep down, I still haven't come to terms with the reality that the Sphinx might be our greatest enemy."**

"Gosh, you?" Seth said. "Ya, ya, sorry."

**"This is still all conjecture," Grandma reminded them, although without much conviction.**

**"Have you any other information that might help us?" Grandpa inquired.**

**"Not with solving the mystery of this plague," Vanessa said. "I would need time to study it firsthand. If you let me help, I'm sure I could be of service."**

**"We're shorthanded enough without having to stand guard over you," Grandpa replied.**

**"Fine," Vanessa said. "Could you take the shackles with you this time?"**

**Tanu unlocked and removed the handcuffs. Vanessa stepped back into the box. She winked at Seth. He stuck out his tongue. Grandma closed the door, the box rotated, and Dale emerged.**

**"I was starting to worry this was all an elaborate setup to get rid of me," Dale said, shaking his arms as if clearing off invisible cobwebs.**

"Man, he found out." Warren clicked his tongue.

"**Did it feel like a long time?" Seth asked.**

**"Long enough," Dale answered. "You lose your senses in there. Can't hear a thing, can't see a thing, can't smell a thing. You start losing all sensation. You feel like a disembodied mind. It's almost relaxing, but not in a good way. You start losing your grip of who you are. I can't figure how Vanessa manages to string words into sentences after spending weeks in that emptiness."**

**"I'm not sure anything could put her at a loss for words,"**

"I can think of—" Warren was cut off by Vanessa's reading.

**Grandma said. "She's as slippery as they come. Whatever we do, we must place no trust in her."**

**"No trust," Grandpa said. "But she may be of further use for information. She acts like she still has a card to play, and she's no fool, so she probably does. How can we discover the identity of the hooded prisoner?"**

**"Could Nero have seen something in his stone?" Grandma asked.**

**"Possibly," Grandpa said. "If not, there's a chance he still could."**

**"I'll go ask him," Seth offered.**

"You sure you have some magic talent you've been hiding?" Kendra asked.

**His previous visit with the cliff troll had been exciting. The greedy troll had wanted to acquire him as a servant in exchange for using a seeing stone to locate Grandpa.**

Marla was exasperated.

"**You'll do nothing of the kind," Grandma said. "A massage enticed him into helping us once. The same offer might tempt him again."**

**"Knowing Nero, having sampled your skills once, he'll want you to sign on as his permanent masseuse before he'll assist us," Grandpa said. "Last time, he had never had a massage. The novelty of it was the key. You proved that curiosity will motivate him more than riches."**

**"A special potion, perhaps?" Tanu suggested.**

**"Something modern?" Seth tried. "Like a cell phone or a camera?" Grandpa put his hands together against his lips as if praying. "It's hard to say what might do the trick, but something along those lines is worth a try. With creatures transformed by the plague lurking about, simply getting to Nero might be the hardest part."**

**"What if Nero has been affected by the plague?" Dale wondered.**

**"If it turns light creatures dark, it might turn dark creatures darker," Tanu speculated.**

**"Maybe we'd have better luck following Coulter," Seth reminded them.**

**"We won't be able to answer those questions until we make a choice and take a risk," Grandpa said. "Let's sleep on it and decide tomorrow."**

"This chapter's dome," Vanessa announced. Seth stood up from his chair and made a big show of stretching.

"Well This has been fun but—"

"Seth sit down."

"Darn it."

* * *

***I totally did that first part just because I forgot which characters were present, it's fine. And wow! Thanks for all the reviews! Totally wasn't expecting that! Y'all are the best! I'm also starting to realize how much I patterned Jinxed after this book XD***


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